Buhler said he plans to work with the state Legislature to allow cities to control the number of restaurants with liquor licenses.

The candidates also shared their differing views on the skybridge proposed as part of City Creek Center. If approved by the Salt Lake City Council, the skybridge would connect the second-level shops on one side of Main Street to the other.

The City Council already has approved an amendment to the city's master plan to accommodate the skybridge but has not yet ruled on specific plans for the bridge. The master plan previously prevented skybridges over city streets but now allows for bridges to be considered if they meet certain conditions.

Becker calls the skybridge "a bad idea," saying the skybridge will take pedestrian traffic off Main Street.

"What we need in Salt Lake City is a vibrant downtown at street level," he said.

Buhler disagreed, saying the City Creek development will bring people downtown, and the skybridge will enable people to better access the two-level development.

"When's the last time somebody got stampeded on Main Street?" he asked rhetorically. "We need to bring more people to Main Street, and this development will do that."

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