Graham Adams suggested dumping the community contracts fund and replacing it with another form of contribution to those activities and it was a view supported by Allan Anderson.
Shirley-Joy Barrow said for every dollar council spent in the community she expected to see $10 generated in return while Ian Brougham believed selling assets is not an answer but cutting management numbers and culling "unproductive" council staff was.
Helen Craig argued that cutting debt was always going to be a problem with a declining population and the next council needed to be "driving economic and population growth".
Colin Fergus wanted council to get back to core business, then look at non-core activities and "let them go". For him it's a matter of Wanganui being "good at what we do well".
Peter Hackett would consider asset sales but reckoned a cleanout of senior council management was required.
Jango said the council wage bill concerned him, while John Keating said it was the burgeoning council debt that motivated him to stand for council.
Hamish McDouall cautioned that the wastewaster treatment problems would be a debt that would have a major influence in the immediate future.
Ross Mitchell-Anyon said the only way to reduce debt was to increase rates which would be unpalatable while cutting services limited council.
Auckland University student James Penn, at 19 the youngest candidate by a considerable margin, said council should sell non-strategic reserves and examine its spending on consultancy and legal fees.
Asked from the floor how he could study in Auckland and serve on the council, Mr Penn said he would use his councillors payment to cover air fares to and from Auckland.
Rob Vinsen said council had been addressing the debt problems but the wastewater treatment problem was an "unexpected cost".
Rana Waitai reckoned council needed some "iron in its backbone" to deal with its debt.
For Sue Westwood, it was obvious council could not keep going back to the ratepayers and "asking for more".
Mrs Craig and Mr Fergus were on the same song sheet saying council must remove barriers to make the place attractive as a business destination.
The Sarjeant Gallery had majority support, although most candidates said the focus needed to be on earthquake-strengthening and careful consideration needed to be given before committing to an extension. Not Mr Brougham, though, who said it was a "waste of money".
Council subsidies for the PS Waimarie got a cautious thumbs-up but some candidates said it should be turned over to private enterprise to run.
There was consensus about improving the city's image, with some saying it had been tarnished by a media fixation on gang matches, Stewart Murray Wilson and the stink from the treatment ponds.
Mr Hackett said Wanganui people had to shake off a negative outlook and Mr Vinsen said it needed a community focussed on positives: "We've got palm trees in our main street - we're the new Honolulu."
Mr McDouall's solution was a council media team that sent positive stories around the country, while Mr Mitchell-Anyon noted that positives could be wrecked in an instant "and that's what happened in this city, by people who should know better".
Mr Brougham's fix was to spell Wanganui without the "H".
When asked from the floor which of the three mayoral candidates they could work with, there was clear support for incumbent Annette Main, though all candidates agreed democracy wins out in the end and consensus gets things done.
That was the cue for Mr Waitai to burst into song.