Gwinnett County's commission chairman candidates drew battle lines Monday night at a contentious forum in Lawrenceville.

The Greater Gwinnett Republican Women hosted the first meeting of the three candidates - incumbent commission chairman Charles Bannister, District 1 Commissioner Lorraine Green and challenger Glenn Pirkle - since the three qualified last week for the July 15 primary.

Bannister and Green missed few opportunities to spar politely about a range of issues including local immigration enforcement, the county's bus system and the effect of the economy on the county's finances.

Bannister noted during the meeting that the county's revenue is running about 15 percent down from last year, and that the county government has begun studying its departments to find ways to cut costs.

"It's not a joyous time," he said. "There is no answer."

But Bannister said he would be more inclined to find ways to cut taxes than raise them, saying that county government needed a Reagan-esque answer to the shortfall. Bannister said he has a plan to reduce property taxes, but asked to reveal the plan's details later.

Green took issue with Bannister's approach, noting that the county's reserve account had fallen from $133 million in 2005 at the start of his term to about $75 million now - the minimum amount necessary to maintain a triple-A favorable bond rating.

County staff told the commission that it needs to raise taxes or cut services, she said. Cutting taxes isn't an option, because county government can't run a deficit, Green said.

Pirkle, an electrical contractor from Buford, took issue with the way county government generally conducts business.

"It's like dealing with the enemy," he said.

Bannister, who has been chairman for three years, is a former mayor of Lilburn who has been involved in government for 34 years, he said. Bannister touted his experience and connections to decision-makers in the state's transportation sector as he winds down his political career.

Green, an environment engineer in her first term of elected office, said she is running because most people in the county believe Gwinnett is going in the wrong direction. She cited her work to revise the county's ordinances to require contractors to abstain from using illegal immigrant labor.

"We just have some very different ideas," she said. "I don't like what I see in the county. We're at a tipping point."