AUGUSTA — Mayoral candidates David Rollins and William E. Dowling will debate the issues at an upcoming candidates’ forum Wednesday.

The hour-long forum, at 6 p.m. in Jewett Hall at the University of Maine at Augusta, will be moderated by James Cook, an assistant professor of social science at UMA.

“At this point in history, being the mayor of Augusta is either a blessing or a curse, and it’s hard to tell which,” Cook said. “There are so many challenges a new mayor will face over which they have limited control. Whether it’s the state’s withdrawal of funding (for municipalities), demographic changes, patterns in crime, or about the mood of an electorate simultaneously demanding services and refusing to pay more in taxes, I think it puts any candidate for mayor in a series of binds. It will be interesting to hear how the candidates plan to deal with those constraints.”

The mayoral debate is sponsored by UMA and the Kennebec Journal. It will be live-streamed on the web at www.centralmaine.com.

Not invited to participate in the debate was Ward 1 City Councilor Michael Byron, who did not take out nomination papers to run for mayor but did file with the city clerk to declare himself an official write-in candidate for mayor. However, his name will not be listed on the ballot.

Scott Monroe, managing editor of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel in Waterville, said Byron was not invited to participate in the debate because organizers wanted to limit the participants in the debate to the candidates for mayor voters will have to choose from on the ballot.

Byron, who will be term-limited out of his council seat in January, said he should be included in the debate. He said he is a legitimate candidate, and he was the only write-in candidate for mayor to officially file by the deadline for write-in candidates.

“I have served on the city council for nine years and should be accorded some respect,” Byron said. “When I decided to run, I counted upon inclusion in debates, because I have no funds to support an extensive advertising campaign. I appeal directly to my opponents, Bill Dowling and Dave Rollins, with whom I’ve served, to show fairness and to insist that I be included in the debate. Finally, I urge that the KJ reconsider, so that the voters of Augusta can get the information which they deserve during a three-way debate.”

However, Rollins and Dowling both said they agree with the decision not to include Byron in the debate.

“I think it’s the correct call. If you’re going to be a legitimate candidate, you should have gotten on the ballot,” Dowling said.

Rollins noted official mayoral candidates have to submit the signatures of 200 registered voters to have their names placed on the ballot, which Byron did not do as a write-in candidate.

“Anybody has the right to stand up and run for mayor, but I think there is a difference when you go out and gather 200 signatures to get your name on the ballot,” he said. “It’s pretty much a precedent in this country that write-in candidates aren’t necessarily part of the public forum of candidates who are on the ballot.”

Both declared candidates said a public mayoral debate has value and will give residents a chance to see how the candidates think on their feet, how they approach things, and how they propose to lead the city council and represent Augusta as mayor.

Monroe said the format of the mayoral debate will include a chance for the candidates to make opening and closing statements and to respond to questions from Cook, Kennebec Journal staff and audience members. Audience members with questions will be directed to submit their questions in writing, and selected audience questions will be posed to the candidates by Cook.

Coincidentally, a gubernatorial debate sponsored by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce is expected to start at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the nearby Augusta Civic Center after the Augusta mayoral debate, which is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. Monroe said the schedule and close proximity of Jewett Hall and the civic center should allow people who wish to take in both the debates for Augusta mayor and Maine governor to do so easily.

“It’s important for city residents to weigh in on the race for mayor; it’s the top post in the city,” Monroe said. “Residents should take part and learn about the candidates so they can make an informed decision.”

Cook said local government is the government where the distance between politicians and the people they represent is the smallest, and the impact of policies it enacts can be felt the most.

“It’s the best level of government at which to have forums and debates and discussion,” Cook said. “It’s also interesting the debate is happening at the same time of the 50th anniversary of UMA. UMA would not be here were it not for the mayor and city council at the time (of its formation). So it’s a great time for UMA to be hosting the debate.”

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

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Twitter: @kedwardskj