Bloomington mayoral candidates Mark Kruzan and David Sabbagh appeared at the Shalom Community Center’s discussion on poverty Tuesday night. The center runs a homeless outreach shelter, and both candidates were invited to talk about the role of city government in funding social service programs and addressing issues of poverty.
Kruzan spoke of poverty as a community issue, saying the role of city government becomes more important as state and federal funding for social programs decreases.
Sabbagh said the social services city governments provide are limited by funding. He said cities can help, but they can’t offer the complete solution. He advocated stronger efforts by the city to help non-profits and social groups raise money.
Several hundred local residents turned out for the debate, hosted by the First United Methodist Church as part of the Shalom Center’s “Conversation on Poverty.”
