Democratic nominee Daryl Justin Finizio was given front-runner treatment at Monday's New London mayoral debate as other candidates in the six-person race directed their fire at him, a classic political move to take a perceived campaign leader down a couple of pegs.

The Neighborhood Alliance of New London and the League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut sponsored the debate, held in the dimly lit and deteriorating auditorium of the Martin Center. Temporary lighting cast shadows and left the candidates sometimes in half-light. It appeared Halloween had arrived early. But despite the dismal setting, the event was a lively one.

The strongest attacks on Finizio came from the Republican candidate, City Councilor Rob Pero, and from the man who had hoped to be the Democratic candidate, City Councilor Michael Buscetto III, who is running a write-in candidacy after losing handily to Finizio in the Sept. 13 primary.

There was a certain irony to Pero and Buscetto tag-teaming attacks on Finizio. Had Buscetto won the Democratic primary, Pero and Buscetto would certainly be directing their fire at each other. But there was virtually none of that Monday.

Both Pero and Buscetto feel Finizio is vulnerable on the charge of being a flip-flopper who voters cannot count on to provide consistent leadership as mayor. They repeatedly pointed to the fact he has switched party affiliations over the years — eight times by Buscetto's count — and served most recently as a Republican on the Westerly council before moving to this area and becoming a Democrat.

Pero also criticized Finizio's call for dismantling the New London Development Corp. as a form of political opportunism. Pero noted that earlier in the campaign process Finizio had voiced his intention to work with the NLDC, only to call for dissolving it on the eve of the Democratic primary. Finizio has also modified his position on the tax breaks the council approved for the upscale apartment complex planned for the Fort Trumbull section. While not endorsing the specifics of the Fort Trumbull tax breaks, Finizio told me at the time the council approved the deal that he agreed tax incentives were among the tools cities sometimes needed to attract development. At Monday's debate Finizio struck a much harsher tone, calling the apartment complex a bad deal for the city and an ill-conceived plan approved by an NLDC and City Council desperate to get anything done at Fort Trumbull.

Pero, Buscetto and petitioning candidate Lori Hopkins-Cavanagh also made frequent references to their deep roots in the community, hoping to provide a contrast with Finizio, who moved to the city in 2010.

Hopkins-Cavanagh blasted Finizio for his support for a Land-Value Tax. Finizio has said he is willing to try it on a pilot basis to encourage development in the downtown. The alternative tax approach switches more of the assessment value to land, rather than buildings. The theory is that LVT motivates property owners to develop vacant or underutilized buildings since they will be paying a heavier tax on the land and will see little or no increase in tax assessment for making building improvements. Hopkins-Cavanagh criticized LVT as "eminent domain by foreclosure," because it would increase the tax burden on property owners financially unable to renovate and utilize properties located on valuable parcels.

Finizio dismissed all the attacks as the start of the "silly season" and an affirmation that the others see him as the guy to beat.

He attributed his frequent party switching to his desire to participate in various political primaries, of both parties, depending on which candidate he supported in a given election. As for serving as a Republican councilor, he described himself as a Chafee Republican, referring to that R.I. political family with a long history of moderate politics in Democratic dominated Rhode Island. Lincoln Chafee is the governor of Rhode Island, elected as an independent after previously serving as a Republican U.S. senator.

Finizio said he registered as a Democrat when he moved to Connecticut because, in this state at least, that affiliation most closely aligns with his political beliefs. But he downplayed the importance of party titles.

As for changing his position on NLDC, Finizio said any good mayor has to be willing to change course as the facts change. The deal proposed for the apartment project convinced him of the need to dissolve the NLDC and move control over Fort Trumbull development back into City Hall, he said. The LVT, Finizio said, is not a new tax or tax increase.

Martin T. Olsen, a council member and the city's ceremonial mayor until someone is sworn into the new, more powerful position, largely stayed away from the attacks. He repeated his position that improving the city's school system is the key to the New London's future success. Olsen cautioned against placing any hope in silver bullets that will quickly turn the fortunes of the city around. It will take hard work and time, Olsen said. He emphasized he is not running against anyone, but for mayor. He is a petitioning candidate.

Several political observers have told me Olsen could emerge a surprise winner in a fractured field. He can only benefit from the major party candidates pulling each other down. As for Finizio, his concern has to be that he perhaps peaked too early with his big Democratic primary win.

Andrew Lockwood, also a petitioning candidate, revealed that he had written to First Lady Michelle Obama to seek her support on behalf of not selling a portion of Riverside Park to the Coast Guard Academy. He has not received a reply. The other candidates let that blockbuster pass without comment.