Less than three weeks before Detroiters head to the polls to elect the city's first new mayor in more than a decade, the final two candidates faced off in their first televised debate.

The hour-long debate between current City Council President Mary Sheffield and the Rev. Solomon Kinloch explored how each of the candidates would approach growing concerns among voters.

One major point of discussion surrounded the issue of public safety.

While Detroit police have reported declining crime rates over the last year, many residents say they feel those numbers don't reflect what they are seeing and experiencing in their own neighborhoods.

Sheffield highlighted the current administration's focus on solution-based resources and the need to get additional funding for community violence intervention programs. Kinloch said he would look at finding the root of the problems impacting teens and young adults, calling the crime data an incomplete look at the issue.

"I believe in a comprehensive and holistic approach to public safety that is rooted in strong partnerships with our law enforcement agencies and our community. I will ensure, as our mayor, we are investing in prevention," said Sheffield.

"Detroiters deserve two things. They deserve safety and they deserve justice, and the reality is any time you have a department that's grading their own tasks, you're going to have a problem with the fudging of the answers and the fudging of the numbers," said Kinloch.

Another hot-button topic was business.

For many voters, fostering confidence in growing businesses in a city plagued by a history of instability is at the top of their minds.

Sheffield said she will promote a business-friendly environment for prospective companies by spearheading property tax reform and looking for new investments to bring more commerce into the city.

Kinloch says he will focus on supporting and uplifting neighborhoods in the city's budget, particularly by redirecting funds to communities that are struggling and empowering them to push forward.

"We must invest in people to ensure that we're attracting high-wage, livable wage jobs and that Detroiters are at the forefront of receiving those jobs," said Sheffield.

"We're not trying to take chairs away from the table, but what we are trying to do is make sure that the people in this city have an opportunity to put chairs at the table," said Kinloch.

As for infrastructure, while both candidates highlighted what the city has already created, including the Basement Backup Protection Program and grants for communities dealing with blighted properties, both say there is still much work to be done.

"I will continue to work with the Great Lakes Water Authority. I will continue to work with the water department. I'll continue to work on a federal level and on a state level in order to make sure we come up with remedies to fix the problems that have existed far too long in our communities," said Kinloch.

"We will ensure that we are continuing to invest in our infrastructure. We must ensure that we're providing resiliency within our system," said Sheffield.