It was old guard versus new blood Tuesday night as the Bellevue City Council candidates tackled local issues at a forum moderated by The Bellevue Reporter and Seattle Times.

The challengers have their work cut out for them trying to unseat the incumbents in a city that remains relatively healthy despite tough economic times. But they still found openings for attack.

Vicki Orrico criticized the council for failing to present a unified voice on light-rail alignment, suggesting East Link could turn into a never-ending issue like the viaduct in Seattle.

“We’re in trouble,” she said. “We have no consensus on alignment, which means we have no consensus on funding. If we continue to fight each other, someone else is going to make those decisions for us and direct our destiny.”

Orrico is up against 16-year council veteran Conrad Lee, who is pushing for a south Bellevue alignment along the BNSF right-of way – an option that doesn’t match the city’s preferred alternative along Bellevue Way and 112th Avenue Northeast.

Lee said he supports using the BNSF alignment because it would cost less, cause fewer impacts, and allow for future expansion to places like Issaquah and Renton.

Candidate Jennifer Robertson, former co-chair of the Bellevue Light Rail Committee, has said she wouldn’t be afraid to use the council’s permitting authority to block any light-rail plans that don’t meet the city’s needs. She has also spoken in support of using the BNSF right-of-way for the south Bellevue alignment.

Robertson is in a three-way race with Betina Finley and former mayor Michael Creighton to finish out the term of the late Phil Noble.

Creighton, who was appointed to replace Noble on an interim basis, didn’t take a hard stance on any of the issues. Instead, he touted his experience on the council, Bellevue school board, and several regional committees as reason to vote him back into office.

“Bellevue has been good to me,” he said. “I want to continue giving back to this community by dedicating my time, my energy, and my passion.”

Finley said it’s important for the city and the Sound Transit board to listen to neighborhood concerns when making long-term decisions. She lives in the Ashwood area, which could be directly impacted by the construction of East Link as it exits the central business district.

Kevin Wallace was the only candidate to oppose a tunnel option for downtown, but it wasn’t because he supports Sound Transit’s preliminary preferred route along the surface of 108th Avenue Northeast and 110th Avenue Northeast.

Wallace is developing his own alternative with backing from a group of local stakeholders. His plan is expected to include use of the BNSF right-of-way through south Bellevue, as well as elevated tracks near 114th Avenue Northeast for downtown.

Opposing Wallace is incumbent Patsy Bonincontri, who voted in favor of the city’s preferred route through south Bellevue.

Bonincontri made a case for herself as a creative problem solver. She said the city should explore public-private partnerships to address issues like affordable housing and even the creation of a world-class aquatics center in Bellevue.

Don Davidson, a member of the council for a combined 22 years, went on the offensive with his closing remarks, suggesting opponent Michael Marchand is too inexperienced to take his place.

“He’s only lived in Bellevue for seven years,” Davidson said. “He has not been involved with any of the Bellevue issues, and he’s also said that he’d like to see Bellevue go in a different direction.”

Marchand didn’t deny that he’s seeking change for the city.

“I listened to what Don said, and all I could think about was megahomes, a $100-million hole in the budget, and the fact that we’re having the same transportation conversation we’ve been having for 20 years,” he said. “Are we going to do more of the same or are we going to do something that looks at a new approach to problems?”

Most of the candidates agreed during the forum that the city needs to prioritize its capital projects and even defer some of them in order to close its deficit.

Robertson said she would deal with the shortfall by fostering more growth to generate new revenue. Wallace added that it would be wise for the city to take advantage of the currently low interest rates and construction costs to implement “shovel-ready” projects.

The candidate forum was hosted by the Bellevue Downtown Association at the Hyatt Regency.