On Wednesday night, Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor faced off in a debate on KDKA+. 

The two answered questions about public safety, housing, the city's aging emergency vehicle fleet and more.

"The more housing we have Downtown, the more people that we have walking Downtown, the more people that we have engaged Downtown, that's how we're going to change the perception," Gainey said about the perceptions of Downtown.

"We need affordable units Downtown, but not every building can be converted to affordable housing Downtown," O'Connor said. "We have to look at using these empty spaces completely differently."

Mayor Gainey later said not every building needs to be housing, but it should be the driving force.

Pittsburgh voters to decide

Pittsburgh voters will soon choose the nominees who will run for mayor of the city. There are certain to be a lot of important issues surrounding these candidates, including taxes, zoning changes, public safety, and how to build the city's future.

Potholes are one issue in the city that both candidates will be sure to face if elected mayor. 

"Every year, these potholes come alive when it gets warm," one person told KDKA-TV. Not doing anything permanently to fix these potholes, some of the streets are really bad." 

Earlier this year, the Democratic nominees, incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor, participated in a fireside chat and debate to tackle the issues in the city. 

"We didn't have to raise taxes. We stretched that penny thin. Being in this situation calls for us to make hard choices. We did that. We finished this year with a $4 million surplus," Gainey said.

"What happened with that money? You took our public safety and decreased our officers. You did not fill in our officers. Talk about transparency? That's not how you build a city of the future. You are not investing in the future, you're plugging holes to get by during an election season," O'Connor argued.

The primary election is set for May 20.