PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — Last week, voters in Port St. Lucie cast their ballots for mayor.

There were three candidates in the field. Now, there are two finalists, and it’s full steam ahead to the November election.

The CBS12 News I-Team has been following this race closely because of the pivotal issues the city must address, including improving traffic flow, resolving garbage collection problems and building a downtown. There have also been fireworks between the candidates.

Despite a slew of controversial headlines involving the leading candidates and a laundry list of civic issues demanding attention, voter turnout last week was low — just 17%.

But when the mayor’s race is back on the ballot in November, it will coincide with the property tax debate over Amendment 3 and the governor’s race. In the meantime, voters will have more opportunities to hear what the candidates have to say about their visions for the city.

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Nearly 7,000 people voted for political outsider and first-time candidate Eric Strazzeri.

So, how will incumbent Mayor Shannon Martin try to appeal to his supporters? She said she’s thinking about the best way to approach them.

“I’m going to have some great conversations; I’m going to talk to the residents and do more meet and greets,” Martin told CBS12 News by phone after the results came in on election night.

“Well, I think me and him have a very similar platform,” Steve Giordano said. “And if they didn’t vote for the mayor, they’re going to look someplace else to vote.”

For his part, Strazzeri told CBS12 News “no comment” when asked who he’ll tell his supporters to vote for now.

On another matter, Giordano said mail-in ballots in the race are now a greater focus for his campaign.

“I think where I got hurt was the mail in ballots; there’s a lot of snowbirds who voted for her, but they aren’t here, and they don’t know what’s going on, so it’s very imperative that we inform them.”

Trash collection also remains a major talking point for residents, with twice-a-week pickup set to appear on the ballot in November.

Recently, there’s been renewed interest in creating a downtown in Port St. Lucie, particularly on the city’s east side, where there currently isn’t much nightlife.

“We already have 50 something parks here, we didn’t need another 23 acre park or 26 acre park in Tradition, lets utilize that space better,” Giordano said.

“We have developed amazing parks in this city, our residents have asked for that and we have delivered on that and really its about what our residents tell us that they want,” Martin said.

Developing a Main Street-style destination with restaurants and shops remains a work in progress, Martin said. She believes the soccer stadium will be key to that effort.

“The Urban Land Institute just did a whole study and came out with a report about how sports anchored districts are re-shaping cities. And so the point of the soccer stadium, which by the way, the city is not paying for, and we are not responsible for operations or maintenance, we have no debt on that stadium, its supposed to be the anchor to start attracting all those different uses, the retail, the shopping, the hotels– to really redevelop that entire area,” Martin said.

Giordano said the stadium was the wrong plan. If elected, he said he would like to explore bringing a children’s museum, an aquarium and a water park to Port St. Lucie as anchors for a downtown.

“I’m very excited for this next round, round 2. And I think we’re going to give the people what they want. The proper leadership,” Giordano said.

“Our form of government is a council-manager form of government; no one person, no mayor can just unilaterally do anything on their own, it takes three members of the city council to vote on anything and in order to get something passed,” Martin said.

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.