The two mayoral candidates in the Rockville election were forced to defend their voting decisions on this year's city budget during a debate sponsored by the Twinbrook Civic Association Tuesday night at the Twinbrook Recreation Center.

The question, put forth by the civic association via moderator and District 17 Senate candidate Cheryl Kagan, asked Mayor Susan R. Hoffmann why she voted for the $101.8 million fiscal 2010 budget and challenger Councilwoman Phyllis R. Marcuccio why she voted against the spending plan. The budget passed 3-2 in May.

Hoffmann, in her first term as mayor, said the city was able to balance its budget and there was no reason not to vote in favor.

She said Rockville is one of few cities of its size in the country to have a AAA bond rating, a measure of financial strength and stability.

Marcuccio, a two-term member of the council, said she had a strong feeling the residents of Rockville were "carrying this budget" with increases in fees.

Other questions tested the candidates' knowledge of Twinbrook issues, including their decisions on the Twinbrook Master Plan, which will guide development in the approximately 4,600-home community in the southeast sector of the city for the next 20 years. The plan passed 3-2 in the spring.

Hoffmann, who lives in the West End community, voted in favor of the long-term development guide because the process, which lasted several years, was extremely thorough, she said.

Marcuccio, who has lived nearly her whole life in East Rockville, voted against the plan. The city staff and the Representatives of Rockville Zoning Ordinance Review committee, or RORZOR, created the master plan and residents were only able to react to what was presented to them, she said.

The two candidates were also asked to compare their leadership styles and how they would use those approaches to create consensus on the City Council.

"I'm a rather relaxed individual and I like to hear what the other person has to say," Marcuccio said. "I like to do it right. I'm very interested in that."

Hoffmann framed her style similarly.

"My style is inclusionary," Hoffmann said. "I talk to lots and lots of people."

She said it is vital to have a willingness to make tough decisions and to understand the process to better solve issues.

The 10 council candidates were broken into two groups of five and asked questions directed specifically at them.

In the first round, consisting of Councilman John Britton, Carl Henn, Trapper Martin, Virginia Onley and Mark Pierzchala, the candidates were asked a variety of questions about how their experience would inform their decisions about Twinbrook and their thoughts on the neighborhood.

Many of the same type of questions were asked of the second council panel, which included Councilman Piotr Gajewski, Thomas Moore, Bridget Newton, Waleed Ovase and Max van Balgooy.

Henn was asked what lessons he learned as president of the Hungerford Civic Association that apply to Twinbrook.

Code enforcement and neighborhood squabbles are the main complaints he deals with and would expect to deal with in Twinbrook.

"We need an engaged government to deal with a lot of those things," he said. He also modified a position he put forth in a prior debate about the usefulness of a hardware store in Town Center, saying it could be a good idea.

Onley, who touted herself as the voice of "common sense and reason," was asked how she would handle the city budget like a family budget, as she promises on her campaign Web site.

"You have to look at the budget line item by line item," she said. "You can't just say you'll raise taxes."

She also said keeping a closer eye on city staff could help, but there is no easy answer.

Britton was asked why he supported and defended a budget that raises fees in many areas.

He said those fees go to good use, and cited an improved stormwater management system that the city is in the process of installing.

Martin was asked, as a candidate who emphasizes his business acumen, if he would have supported the low rent VisArts in paying for its gallery in Town Square, which could have netted the city several million dollars had the space been rented at market value.

He said he supports VisArts now, but might not have supported the $1-per-square-foot rate given to the arts organization.

Pierzchala was asked what he would change in the Twinbrook Neighborhood Plan and if he would reopen it if elected.

He said he generally supports the plan, but thinks a few things, like making sure mixed-use zones stay mixed, should be looked at again.

In the second round of questions, Ovase was asked what he means when he claims the mayor and council do not serve the residents of Rockville.

He said they do not listen enough and respond half-heartedly when they do.

Van Balgooy was asked why he said the city was running a budget deficit.

He said the city is spending more than it is bringing in, and that is a deficit, even though the budget seems to be balanced.

Gajewski was asked to defend himself against accusations he has been brusque and rude with some who have spoken before City Council.

He said that he takes issue with the spread of misinformation, and perhaps could have phrased his criticism better.

Newton was asked to defend a letter she sent to the city against the Twinbrook Neighborhood Plan.

She did not think the plan kept the neighborhood in mind, something she is a strong proponent of, she said.

Moore, a resident of the West End, was asked how he would work to make sure the City Council was equitable to residents of East Rockville.

He paused for several seconds before answering, eventually saying the city has to look beyond the numbers and get a sense of quality of life. Crime statistics do not tell how safe residents feel, he said.

Kagan, a former District 17 delegate, moderated the debate despite protests from Joseph Jordan, Marcuccio's campaign manager.

He said Kagan is a friend of Hoffmann's and could not be an objective moderator.

Former Rockville Mayor James Coyle, who is Hoffmann's campaign manager, said he understood the protest and that Jordan was "just doing his job."

The Hoffmann campaign successfully protested the proposed moderator of the first debate sponsored by the West End Citizens Association, James Vitol, because he had made a contribution to Marcuccio's campaign.

The debate was televised live on cable channel 11, the city's television station. It will be rebroadcast.

Election Day is Nov. 3.