Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn held a town hall meeting Oct 27 at the Ballard Community Center, and once again the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement plan was a major topic.

After a number of questions about the post-viaduct waterfront, during which McGinn said he wants to know where the money for cost overruns is coming from before it gets built and that his favored surface option would not cause gridlock, the candidate decided it was time to move on.

"We've been killing the viaduct here, and I don't know if we are getting anywhere," McGinn said to laughs from the approximately 40 people in attendance.

When asked how he would keep Nickelsville from turning into McGinnville, the candidate said he would would mobilize more resources and be more responsive than the current administration.

He said homeless people with mental and substance abuse issues need to have housing that is connected to services. The city needs to look at bringing in new kinds of low-cost housing to serve other homeless populations, he said.

One meeting attendee expressed concern over McGinn's statement that he would look at taking over the schools if they were not performing well.

He answered that mayoral control of the schools would still include a superintendent and school board but would allow for a greater focus of resources and more public accountability.

McGinn said there has not been enough talk about education during this election, and his opponent Joe Mallahan has attacked him for trying to discuss it.

"Schools are one of the most important issues to our city, and we're barely talking about it," he said.

McGinn's town hall meeting was scheduled for the same day as Mallahan was meant to meet with the Ballard Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce had been working on scheduling a luncheon with both candidates earlier this month, but Mallahan pulled out, said Chamber Executive Director Beth Miller.

McGinn said he offered to still attend the luncheon, but Miller declined.

"I'm not going to have one candidate and not the other," she said.

Later, Mallahan's campaign contacted the Chamber and offered to have him meet with business leaders on the morning of Oct. 27 to listen to their concerns.

McGinn was not invited, which he said was unfair as he was told he could not attend the luncheon without Mallahan present.

Miller said it was not her place to invite McGinn as the Oct. 27 meeting was scheduled by the Mallahan campaign and was not a debate, just an opportunity for the campaign to listen and take notes.

She said they could have arranged a similar meeting with McGinn if he had asked for one.

"My desire is to make sure that whoever becomes mayor does a better job listening to Ballard than the current mayor," Miller said.

Mallahan did not end up attending the Oct. 27 Chamber meeting due to an illness. A staffer was sent in his place.