The two independents in the Pittsburgh mayoral race took their final swings at Mayor Luke Ravenstahl yesterday, repeating the complaints about political influence, neighborhood priorities and crime that have defined their bids to unseat the three-year incumbent.

Squirrel Hill attorney Kevin Acklin and Shadyside businessman Franco Dok Harris face long odds Tuesday, as they try to unseat an incumbent Pittsburgh mayor for the first time since 1933. In the third and final debate of the fall, they turned over little new ground on Mr. Ravenstahl, though he was forced to address his handling of the G-20 summit, police staffing levels and mistakes he has made in office.

On one hand, the debate allowed Mr. Ravenstahl to underline the city's accomplishments since he took over in September 2006, such as easing away from near-bankruptcy, seeing a 40 percent drop in homicides this year, and having a lower jobless rate than the state or national averages. A full four-year term would let him tackle the city's ailing pension fund and try to fill a $15 million gap in the city's operating budget, he said.

"There are good things happening, Pittsburgh, but our journey is not yet complete," Mr. Ravenstahl said.

The debate was taped at WPXI-TV for broadcast at noon Sunday.

Mr. Acklin made no surprise announcements about leaked e-mails yesterday, as he did during last week's debate on WTAE-TV, but he did repeat his criticisms that Cranberry political consultant John Verbanac had too much influence in the Ravenstahl administration.

In the e-mails Mr. Verbanic gave the mayor advice on staffing and speeches, casino matters and funding for a development project in Hazelwood.

"What it shows, I believe, is the fact that this mayor has big corporate interests pulling some of the strings in his office," Mr. Acklin said of the correspondence.

Mr. Ravenstahl dismissed those claims as "irrelevant" and said "there's nothing improper there and never has been."

Mr. Harris tried to place himself above the fray, calling the argument "political fluff" and saying "you need a Ph.D. in BS to understand this. I don't have one."

But Mr. Harris did criticize the mayor for his response to the fatal Sept. 26 shooting of a 5-year-old boy in Northview Heights, saying he should have visited the boy's family. If he is elected mayor, Mr. Harris said, "I will be there, I will hold your hand, I will show up at anti-violence rallies."

Mr. Acklin, too, criticized the mayor on neighborhood issues, saying residents have told him they "never see the mayor out here except for when the cameras are rolling."

Mr. Ravenstahl responded that he hosted 10 citywide meetings on neighborhood issues, which led to programs such as Green Up Pittsburgh and the city's Taking Care of Business cleanup drives. Members of his staff attend an estimated 50 neighborhood meetings every month, he said.

The independents both hailed Mr. Ravenstahl's public relations job for the city during the G-20 summit but criticized the way his administration shut down Downtown, or as Mr. Harris called it, "Ghostburgh." Mr. Ravenstahl defended the security measures, saying "Pittsburgh handled an event of this magnitude better than any city ever has."

Mr. Acklin repeated his promise to hire 200 new police officers in his first term and Mr. Harris called for 80 or 90. Mr. Ravenstahl said he wanted more police too, but the city budget would not allow it.

Moderator David Johnson asked the incumbent if he had many any mistakes in office, and Mr. Ravenstahl mentioned the March 2007 private jet flight he accepted to New York from a co-owner of the Penguins, on the night the city reached a deal on a new hockey arena. Mr. Ravenstahl admitted he was not ready to take over the city in 2006, but is ready now.

"You can go back to stupid little things like getting on a plane with Ron Burkle. I regret that," he said.

Mr. Harris told voters that he will model himself on late leaders Bob O'Connor, Richard Caliguiri and John Heinz, while using his law and business degrees to address fiscal and economic challenges. Mr. Acklin said he would pattern himself after his family of firefighters, nurses, laborers and police officers.

"I didn't grow up in a family of politicians, and I didn't grow up in a family of celebrities. I grew up in a family of hard-working Pittsburghers ... and my family has taught me strong lessons of public service," he said.

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