Incumbent Calera Mayor George Roy and challenger Lemoyne Glasgow outlined their platforms during a candidate’s forum Monday night, agreeing on many issues but differing on whether a new mayor or a longterm incumbent can better serve the fast-growing city.

One thing evident after each candidate’s 10-minute speech is that they actually agree on most issues.

Some common points both mentioned included downtown revitalization, meeting recreation needs, building a new library and continued efforts to build a truck bypass around the city.

Glasgow spoke first, reading from a written speech in front of the forum presented by the Calera Chamber of Commerce. The city councilmember said she is proud of the campaigns she and Roy have run.

Glasgow is no newcomer to Calera politics, having served 28 years as city clerk before being elected to city council six years ago. The main point she outlined during her speech was that Calera needed a fresh face in the mayor’s office. Roy is seeking his 10th term.

&uot;I will dismiss that attitude, ‘Ah, we’ve always done it that way,’&uot; she said. &uot;It is time for the next generation to get involved in local politics. It’s time for a change.&uot;

Glasgow contended that even though Roy has succeeded in increasing the city’s tax base with new retail such as the Wal-Mart Supercenter, the city’s budget needs work.

&uot;We still have a problem balancing the budget. We must address this problem,&uot; she said.

Roy spoke second, carrying only a small outline to the podium. He focused on his achievements during his 36 years in office but also addressed future challenges in the city.

According to Roy, road construction is the biggest problem facing Calera. He said he has experienced the difficulties of securing state and federal money for new roads, but he also said he has developed contacts to help in the future.

During his speech, Roy did not ignore some of the problems that have risen during his tenure.

For instance, he said the council recently adopted new subdivision regulations to address drainage problems that occurred at many of the city’s new homes.

Roy depicted himself as a relentless business recruiter dedicated to continued growth in the city.

If re-elected, he said he would continue his aggressive recruitment of new industry and business.

&uot;I have been very agressive to see this is a growing city,&uot; he said, noting that a new tenant is set to move into the city’s South Industrial Park.

Some of the needs the city should invest in, according to Roy, include a new library.

Following his speech, several library board members questioned Roy about that issue.

The city has completed design plans for a new library but ran into funding obstacles. Some library board members hinted that Roy assured them the city had the money when architects completed design plans.

Roy responded, saying the city had to see how much money was needed for expansion of the wastewater treatment plant before committing money to the library