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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The decision on who will be Colorado Springs' first strong mayor is just three weeks away, which means the last two remaining candidates aren't holding anything back.

At the beginning of the race there were 11 candidates vying for the city's first strong mayor seat. Only seven made it to the actual election.

Richard Skorman and Steve Bach dominated the polls, each earning just above 30 percent of the votes. 

But since neither earned more than 50 percent, the two are now facing off in a run-off election. 

Monday night the two spoke at a debate at the Pikes Peak Center about their plans for the future of Colorado Springs.

While the two have different ways of accomplishing their goals, they share a lot of common desires.

Both candidates talked about the need for bringing more jobs into the city and attracting a young professional crowd.

Both also said they wanted local government to be more transparent and open to listening to the public.

Bach said what sets him apart from Skorman is that he's not a politician.

"I have not served on council, so this would be my first time in elective office, so that's an important differentiator," Bach said. "Secondly, I'm the only candidate in this race that has actual experience in Colorado Springs as a volunteer leader at attracting thousands of high quality jobs and retaining them here, so I think those two aspects are important."

Bach said Skorman was part of the team of leaders that led to the city's problems, and the city can choose policies of the past or decide to go in a new direction.

"Richard Skorman was on city council for seven years," Bach said. "He was vice mayor until he quit, and so he was part of that process that got us to where we are now, in terms of our financial circumstances in our city, and I think he needs to take responsibility for that."

Skorman said his views have changed since he served on city council, and the new strong mayor system allows elective officials to actually accomplish things.

"I was (a former member of city council), but I think that experience is good for me, and I think my small business experience is even better, and the strong mayor system is gonna allow me to accomplish things," Skorman said. "So I'm excited to be that fresh pair of eyes, but having the knowledge of how things have worked in the past."

Skorman said he wants to think outside the box, and his ideas are bigger than Bach's.

"My ideas are bigger and broader," Skorman said. "Talking about not only development but redevelopment, talking about bringing in outside jobs but helping the jobs that are already here, small businesses, I'm talking about a way we can grow our economy we haven't thought about before."

Like the April election votes will be cast by mail-in ballots.

Ballots have already been mailed out to the public and are due back May 17 by 7 p.m.