Despite having only one of the two Democratic mayoral candidates in attendance, a political forum went on as scheduled Thursday evening.

More than 40 people came to the&160;Isle of Capri Hotel to hear from candidates vying for mayor and city clerk in Tuesday’s Democratic primary runoff.

The forum was sponsored by the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce.

Noticeably absent was F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith, who is attempting to defeat the incumbent Natchez mayor, Larry L. &uot;Butch&uot; Brown.

&uot;I was sorry we didn’t have all of the candidates,&uot; Chamber president Stephanie Hutchins said. &uot;I think (if Smith had come) it would have been a more open session.&uot;

Smith declined to attend the forum earlier this week citing previous campaign commitments.

Several copies of written correspondence between Smith and the Chamber were placed on a table at the back of the room to help detail why he wasn’t able to attend.

Brown said he’d hoped Smith would have been present.

&uot;I think if he had been there, it would have been a good comparison tool,&uot; Brown said.

Instead of taking turns answering the same questions submitted to the Chamber by the public, Brown was given an opportunity to speak for a few minutes and then asked to respond to five of the questions.

Questions ranged from how the mayor’s office can help bring &uot;high-paying&uot; jobs to Natchez to whether the Natchez Visitor Reception Center has debt and whether it could be combined with a convention center.

&uot;I think Hank sent that one,&uot; Brown joked to the crowd. The Visitor Center has been one of Brown’s opponents’ favorite targets.

One, John &uot;Pulley Bone&uot; Pullen, who was defeated in the first Democratic primary, referred to the building as the world’s largest bathroom.

Brown gave his impression of the situation.

&uot;There is no debt on the Visitor Center,&uot; he said. &uot;It was bought and paid for when it opened.&uot;

The mayor also said that the building was the only city-owned structure that wasn’t supplemented in some part by city taxes.

&uot;Can you put a convention center (at the Visitor Center site)?&uot; Brown asked. &uot;I doubt it. A convention center has to serve a whole separate set of needs.&uot;

Brown also said that since a bond issue for the convention center that is currently under construction has already been passed would be difficult.

&uot;You can’t redirect bond issues,&uot; he said. &uot;You can’t do it. It’s illegal.&uot;

On the issue of bringing &uot;high-paying jobs&uot; to Natchez, Brown said some already exist.

&uot;Jobs are here. Jobs are coming,&uot; he said. &uot;You just don’t have an assembly line.&uot;

Brown pointed to Thursday’s graduation at the Alcorn State University School of Nursing as an example of how important education is to bringing more jobs.

&uot;I’ll take education every year and use that to bring smokestacks every other year.&160;If you don’t have an educated work force, (industrial) people won’t come here.&uot;

The remaining two Democratic city clerk candidates, Donnie Holloway and Dr. Fredericka Cain Todd, alternated turns at the microphone and answered questions about their qualifications and how they would use the office to help promote racial harmony.

Todd pointed to her education as her biggest qualification.

&uot;I’ve had course work and experience dealing with money,&uot; she said. And pledged if elected to give $12,000 of her salary for a &uot;much-needed recreational facility in Ward 1.&uot;

Holloway said his previous banking experience will help him handle the office duties.

&uot;I’ve lent over millions of dollars in banking,&uot;&160;he said. &uot;I’ve invested millions.&uot;