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Two City Council candidates on Thursday afternoon sparred briefly during the last forum of the election season, an event that largely saw the council and mayoral candidates discuss issues important to senior citizens.

Sponsored by the Rockville Senior Center, the two-hour political event drew a crowd of about 100 and touched on topics such as transportation, affordable senior housing and maintaining senior services in these difficult economic times.

At the end of the debate, first-term council member Piotr Gajewski, as the last candidate to present his views on affordable housing, challenged Bridget Newton on her role in negotiations between the West End community and a developer of affordable housing.

Gajewski accused her of having a sign opposing the project, Beall's Grant II, in her front yard and opposing affordable housing.

Plans to build Beall's Grant II, proposed by nonprofit Montgomery Housing Partnership for Beall Avenue and North Washington Street between downtown Rockville and West End, were delayed during negotiations between the community and the developer designed to scale down the project.

In her closing remarks, Newton countered by saying she had no such sign and was vice chair of the committee of community representatives who helped reshape the proposed building's plans, and "help make the situation better."

In his closing remarks, Gajewski said members of that committee had filed a lawsuit to stop the building from going in.

But Newton told The Gazette after the forum that she is not involved in the suit.

"I'm not a plaintiff in the suit," Newton said. "It's completely separate from the Beall's Grant committee. We had nothing to do with it."

Prior to that exchange, the candidates were given a chance to speak freely, and many chose to speak about how predicted budget cuts from the state would affect senior services.

Council candidate Virginia Onley promised to look at reducing fees, which she said can be difficult for those with fixed incomes to pay.

Council hopeful Waleed Ovase, who turns 18 on Friday in time to be eligible to hold the seat, said he would use a "safety budget" comprised of surplus revenues to ensure that services for seniors, like renovations to the senior center, would not be cut.

First-term Councilman John Britton said the top priorities for seniors are affordable housing, property taxes and mobility. He vowed to support affordable senior housing, the expansion of the homestead tax credit and pedestrian safety issues.

Newton called for the formation of a budget commission that would look at the budget from a community standpoint.

Mayor Susan R. Hoffmann, seeking re-election, vowed that in the tight budget year ahead, she would not raise taxes, but "everything else" is on the table to maintain a balanced budget.

Councilwoman Phyllis R. Marcuccio, who is challenging Hoffmann, cited three years she reduced the property tax rate by 1 cent.

"I've been working my butt off to get you tax relief," she said, but blamed the $1.7 million the city paid in contractual raises to employees as a potential problem in fiscal 2011.

Council candidate Carl Henn said the biggest cost driver for the city budget is salaries, so cuts in raises for employees could mean not having to cut community services.

Max van Balgooy, also hoping for a council seat, agreed that freezing staff pay may be necessary, but some capitol improvement projects may get delayed as well.

"It's not what we're going to do more of, but what we're going to do less of, or stop doing," van Balgooy said.

Tom Moore, also a council hopeful, said there is not a lot of fat in the budget, but there are things the city can put off to maintain services. He pointed to overlapping services provided by both the city and the county, which could be trimmed. He said freezing salaries or furloughs may be necessary, but because the city honored its employee contracts this year, staff will know they were not the first on the chopping block.

Council candidate Mark Pierzchala said he would look at everything the city subsidizes and decided if it is worth continuing. He also committed to maintaining senior services at their current levels next year, but would not commit to increasing them.

Gajewski said his support for keeping the renovations to the Rockville Senior Center in the fiscal 2010 budget at this week's City Council meeting when delaying it was being recommended is proof of his commitment to senior issues.

Council candidate Trapper Martin did not attend because of a personal obligation.

City residents will go to the polls Tuesday to elect a mayor and four council members.