The proceedings were polite — the event was organized by Conservative Republican Women, after all — but not without sparks.

The Monday night forum for eight Republican candidates vying for a spot on the Gwinnett County Commission seated incumbents and challengers side by side, in the very chamber to which they aspire.

In some cases, it seemed a little too close for comfort.

"I want to give you a warning," incumbent Chairman Charles Bannister said in his closing remarks. "What you hear may not be what you see. Rhetoric is alive and well in the political world."

He was referring to challenger Lorraine Green, who he accused of co-opting his ideas in a release issued minutes before the event.

Commissioner Green, who seeks the chairmanship of the commission, had unveiled her plan to cut property taxes by way of a Homestead Option Sales Tax, or HOST, and alluded to it throughout the night.

Glenn Pirkle, a Buford electrical contractor also running for chairman, kept his proposals succinct. If there was only one ordinance he could draft to improve the quality of life, he was asked, what would it be and how would he pay for it?

Pirkle said he'd remove abandoned buildings and pay for it by adding a fee to the property owner's tax bill. Illegal immigrants? Fine the people who hire them, he said, and put a six-month hold on their project.

Vying for Green's District 1 seat, Duluth businessman Bruce LeVell, former Suwanee councilwoman Carol Hassell and Duluth mayor Shirley Lasseter focused on illegal immigration.

Lasseter said the best solution is to "put them in a federal detention center that we are not paying for."

Hassell said she didn't favor adding a facility, but wanted to continue to send a message to folks who aren't supposed to be here that they're not welcome with rental ordinances and code enforcement. Levell said the best place to crack down on illegal immigrants are the clubs that stay open too late.

District 3 incumbent Mike Beaudreau cited his record of accountability, problem-solving and adhering to the land-use plan in transportation.

He said the market will correct the problems of $4-a-gallon gas and that voters should "be careful about over-reaching, especially on the topic of rail."

Challenger Doug Stacks touted "common-sense solutions," such as roads wide enough for bike lanes.

He challenged Beaudreau's claim that the incumbent's campaign had never accepted contributions from developers or their families, to which Beaudreau replied, "I stand by what I said 110 percent."