San Diego District 3 City Council candidates, Todd Gloria, John Hartley and Stephen Whitburn, debated at the Community Coalition Breakfast held at The San Diego LGBT Community Center on April 19.

The debate, led by Gay & Lesbian Times Publisher Michael Portantino, focused on issues affecting the GLBT community – many which voters have heard the candidates speak on before.

The difference, however, at this debate, is it was Hartley’s first public appearance since he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor lewd conduct charge earlier this month.

The former councilmember and current District 3 candidate – who was arrested on March 27, when two women reportedly witnessed Hartley urinating into a cup inside his truck parked in front of their Kensington house – did not shy away from the issue of his arrest.

Hartley, who has dismissed the occurrence as having to “take a leak,” mentioned the incident at least three times during the debate.

“I got myself in a pickle,” he told those in attendance. “I take full responsibility for my actions. And if voters can overcome the mistake I made they will see that I learned a lot of things on a lot of different levels.”

Hartley’s opponents however, remained focused on their own campaigns during the debate. All three agreed on most topics, except when asked their views on if the city auditor should be appointed or elected.

“I don’t support the city auditor being elected by the voters,” Gloria, a congressional aide to Congressmember Susan Davis, said. “The bean counter doesn’t need to be political. There needs to be standards and practices, which are followed. They need to be intelligently appointed.”

Hartley and Whitburn differed with Gloria. Both said that an independent auditor elected by voters would be in the city’s best interest.

“It seems to have worked well in other cities,” Whitburn said, noting that the five largest cities in the country elect the city auditor.

“For too long this city’s books have been audited by people who have been appointed and that’s why we are where we are today,” said Whitburn, the former San Diego Democratic Club president.

When Portantino asked the candidates if everyone running in the race should be on stage at the debate, all agreed they should.

“The more the merrier,” Whitburn replied.

Robert E. Lee and ex-gay, Christian activist James Hartline, who is also running for the council seat, were missing from the debate. Paul Broadway was in the audience, but was not invited to participate in the discussion.

“It’s not too often that we get a chance to choose from three qualified candidates,” Portantino told the audience of approximately 120 community members who attended the debate.

The Gay & Lesbian Times has not endorsed any of the six candidates in the race to fill the seat being vacated by current Councilmember Toni Atkins who terms out this year.