The seven candidates fielded questions and challenged one another at Monday’s debate at The Somerville Theater. - Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

The 2011 Alderman At Large debate took place on Monday evening at the historical Somerville Theater in Davis Square. Somerville’s four incumbent Aldermen-at-Large and three new candidates for that office were all on stage to earn your vote and to battle the right to occupy the four Aldermen At Large seats for the upcoming November 8 election.

Joe Lynch of The Greater Somerville SCAT (Somerville Access Television Channel 3) TV show moderated the debate. Chris Orchard of the Somerville Patch, Donald Norton of The Somerville News, Andy Metzger of The Somerville Journal and Matt Byrne of The Boston Globe were the four panelist that directed the local concerns and economic questions to the seven candidates.

All seven candidates were allowed to deliver opening speeches beginning with Incumbent Alderman At Large Jack Connolly and finishing up the hour long bombardment of questions with closing arguments from Incumbent Alderman At Large Bill White.

The other two incumbents that were on stage were Alderman At Large Bruce Desmond and Alderman At Large Dennis Sullivan. The three new candidates on state were Candidate Todd Easton, Candidate Sean Fitzgerald and Candidate Michael Nionakis

The questions that panelists asked the candidates ranged from, “what have you done as an Alderman and what will you do, if elected, for small local businesses,” empty store fronts in city squares, Ocean State Job Lots, Walmart, Union Square area height limits, sky-rocketing parking meter fees, to The Assembly Square Development, The Green Line stoppage, and hot topic feuds such as East Somerville Community School’s delays and construction issues.