Mayoral campaigns release debate schedule

Neither Mark L. Mallory nor David Pepper can be accused of ducking debates.

The two candidates for Cincinnati mayor have already met for four official debates -- and a number of other joint appearances -- in the two weeks since the mayoral primary. Today, the campaigns together released a list of six more debates and a half-dozen more joint public appearances over the next six weeks of the campaign.

Four years ago, Courtis Fuller and Charlie Luken debated only three times.

The official 2005 schedule, released today:

Debates

Oct. 4, 7 p.m.
Women League of Voters/Junior League Debate
Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, West End

Oct. 7, 8:15 a.m.
Seven Hills School
5400 Red Bank Road, Madisonville

Oct. 11, 8 p.m.
Cincinnati Advance Mayoral Debate
Alchemize, Walnut Street, Over-the-Rhine

Oct. 25, 7 p.m.
League of Women Voters and Channel 5 Town Hall Meeting
Este Conference Center, Winton Place

Nov. 1, 8 p.m.
WCET Mayoral Debate
WCET Studios, West End

Nov. 3, 12 noon
Rotary Club of Cincinnati

Forums and other joint appearances

Oct. 6, 12 noon
Mt. Auburn Group for Improving the Community
Christ Hospital

Oct. 6, 5:30 p.m.
Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce/Meet the Candidates Reception
Bell Event Centre, 444 Reading Road

Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Kennedy Heights Forum
Kennedy Heights Presbyterian Church, 6312 Kennedy Ave.

Oct. 24, 7 p.m.
Clifton Town Meeting/Meet the Candidates Night
Clifton Recreation Center, 320 McAlpin Ave.

Oct. 27, 6 p.m.
U.C. African-American Cultural Center/Mayoral-City Council Candidates Forum
University of Cincinnati

Nov. 4, 9:30 a.m.
Newsmakers at Channel 12
Both Candidates will appear
(Will air Nov. 6 at 11 a.m. on WKRC)

Debate and appearance guidelines

The campaigns have also worked out a final list of ground rules for the appearances. They are:

1. Mayoral candidates always go first at forums where City Council candidates are included.
2. If a group is proposing a debate or forum, the date must be confirmed by each campaign before the event can be scheduled.
3. All debates will include at least 2 minutes for opening statements and at least 2 minutes for closing statements.
4. Questions will rotate with 1 minute and 30 seconds to answer.
5. Each question will have a 1 minute rebuttal.
6. A coin toss will determine who delivers opening statements first. The opposite candidate will go first when delivering closing statements.
7. The candidates will not be sitting when answering questions unless they are at a table. When possible, the candidates will be at podiums for the debates and forums. If podiums are not available, the candidates will stand to answer questions using hand-held microphones.
8. Debates and forums will have a set time limit. They can last 1 hour, 1 hour and 30 minutes, or 2 hours.
9. Audience questions must be written down and turned in to the event moderator.
10. David Pepper and Mark Mallory are the only two mayor candidates and as such, they will be the only candidates to participate in any Mayoral candidate forum or debate.
11. Each campaign must receive written confirmation of these guidelines from the sponsoring organization at least seven days prior to the date of the event.

Pepper campaign manager Greg Landsman said the campaigns were unable to agree on only one guideline: Mallory's camp wanted opening and closing statements of no more than two minutes. Pepper wanted longer.

"It's not a big deal -- organizers will have some degree of autonomy no matter what we suggest," Landsman said.