MANCHESTER, N.H. —

In a debate at the WMUR studios on Friday, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais and his challenger, Board of School Committeewoman Jessica Spillers, offered differing visions for the next two years on public safety and downtown homelessness.

"Clearing the encampments is just playing human ‘whack-a-mole.’ We're just moving people from one part of the city to the other. We need to take a more comprehensive approach and ensure that the resources and supports, like the Beech Street Engagement Center, are available," Spillers, a Democrat, said.

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“We have to ensure that our rules, that our laws, that our ordinances are being fully enforced. We cannot have encampments in the downtown. We cannot have encampments around the city. They are not safe for th

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