Madison's mayoral candidates held a public discussion Thursday night at the Madison Concourse Hotel — addressing topics such as transportation, business development and crime.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and opponents Ray Allen, Peter Muñoz and Will Sandstrom were each given the opportunity to answer a predetermined set of questions before fielding impromptu questions from the audience.

Madison's recent string of high-profile muggings and sexual assaults has led crime to become a major topic in this spring's mayoral race. Candidates were asked about their long-term solutions for improving safety in Madison.

According to Cieslewicz, who is vying for his second term of office after being first elected in 2003, the city cannot rely solely on law enforcement.

"We've also got to address the root causes," Cieslewicz said. "That's why we've done things like dramatically expand after-school programs; that's why we're making the investments we are in Allied Drive."

The mayor also mentioned his Downtown Safety Initiative, a $100,000 program the City Council approved Tuesday that aims to improve safety in the downtown and campus area. The plan will increase the numbers of police officers on patrol and incorporate surveillance cameras in crime-heavy areas.

Allen, however, said the long-term answer to fighting Madison's crime problem is fighting poverty now.

"Something has to change, and fighting poverty is a priority," Allen said. "Unfortunately, City Hall has been spending their time on things like trolleys."

Cieslewicz's streetcar proposal, the feasibility of which is currently being researched by the city's Streetcar Study Committee, has been perhaps the No. 1 point of contention during this mayoral race. The mayor hopes a streetcar system would improve economic activity downtown while lessening traffic congestion.

All three of his opponents have publicly criticized the very notion of streetcars in Madison, and Muñoz said Thursday the city's transportation problems can be solved by regionalizing the existing bus system.

Allen, the owner of the Madison Times and former member of the Madison Metropolitan School Board, also said he believes the Madison Metro bus system could be revitalized to increase economic activity and improve traffic conditions.

"We have to do more than just throw money at Metro — we need to boost the ridership," Allen said. "To do this, Metro must be more efficient, more accessible, so all the people will use it as a viable transportation option."

Muñoz also expressed concern about the cost of a trolley system. Exact costs of a Madison trolley system will not be available until after the Streetcar Study is completed this summer.

"Right now, the direction that we're going is leading us into a terrible situation, fiscally," Muñoz said.

Muñoz is currently the executive director of Centro Hispano, a local nonprofit organization. He also served as an advisor to former Madison mayor Sue Bauman.

Sandstrom, a retired biochemist, said he would like to get money from the federal government to use in Madison.

"I'll go over and grab some tails in Washington and twist a bit, make them jump a bit," Sandstrom said.

Another topic of discussion was the city's "brain drain," where students educated at Madison's colleges quickly move away upon graduation in order to get work in other cities.

"That's the first and most important thing you have to do — keep jobs here," Cieslewicz said. "We have to find ways to keep young people here, or if they leave, to bring them back."

The four candidates will face each other in the mayoral primary Feb. 20. Two will advance to the general election, which will take place April 3.