With another painful budget season on the horizon, six city council candidates prioritized fiscal responsibility last night during a forum hosted by the Concord Taxpayers Association.

But not all the candidates offered clear answers on how they'd achieve those goals - or others. In front of a small gathering at the West Street Ward House, the candidates - two for Ward 7, and four for at-large seats - fielded questions on everything from trolleys and purple trash bags to plans for a new library and community center.

Mostly, they spoke generally, especially when it came to broader questions about economic development and revitalizing downtown.

The two incumbents speaking last night were Ward 7 Councilor Keith Nyhan and At-Large Councilor Dan St. Hilaire. St. Hilaire, the former Merrimack County attorney, is seeking a second term, and Nyhan - who described himself as a "fourth-generation South Ender" - will run for his third.

Squaring off against Nyhan is Steven Sawyer, who runs a real estate appraisal business. Joining St. Hilaire in the race for two at-large seats are Jim Baer, a retiree who's on the board of the taxpayers association; Rick Cibotti, a tile and stone contractor; and Mike DelloIacono, who runs a web design business.

While questions arose regarding the candidates' stances on public safety,

parking garages, school district bonding and Concord Community Television, much of the discussion focused on the city's budget.

Asked about specific cuts the council could undertake, Nyhan emphasized the extent of those already made.

But he mentioned money going to the city's conservation fund.

Baer said he'd look at employee salaries. St. Hilaire said core services would likely again face cuts, and no department would be immune from scrutiny: "Nobody escapes the gauntlet."

DelloIacono talked about cutting energy use and non-core services and said there was "no magic answer." Cibotti said he needed to become more familiar with the budget before answering.

As far as ways to raise money, Sawyer suggested taking some of the school district's surplus. St. Hilaire proposed the city look at making parking garages privately run.

Baer extended the privatization idea to "a discussion about doing all public services, water and sewer."

He and the other new candidates introduced themselves before answering questions, talking about the perspective they'd bring to the council.

Baer described himself as an advocate for senior citizens and others struggling on fixed incomes, and as committed to keeping taxes low. "I just think there's some fat," he said of the city's budget.

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