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Enderby Mayor Greg McCune said he's received some local support after the NDP's Shuswap district candidate accused him of a conflict of interest.

Provincial candidate Sylvia Lindgren's comment was made during an all-candidates forum in Enderby on Tuesday.

During the debate, candidates were asked what could be done to improve traffic safety on Highway 97A through the city.

Liberal candidate Greg Kyllo suggested converting part of the abandoned CPR rail to roadway by turning the highway into two lanes northbound and putting in two southbound lanes on the rail bed.

Conditional agreement to purchase the 43 kilometre rail line has been okayed by regional districts in the North Okanagan and the Columbia Shuswap.

Lindgren said the mayor would probably like the road to go past his own business.

“He shouldn’t be voting on it, “ said Lindgren, referring to McCune's directorship with NORD. “That is a conflict of interest.”

McCune owns Sutherlands Bakery which is flanked by Highway 97A and the rail bed.

“I think if you polled 99 per cent of the population of Enderby, they wouldn’t see it that way. So for someone to come in from outside, well that is just her idea of campaigning,” retorted McCune. “Being in politics in a small community actually costs your business revenue.

"I received several supportive calls from residents after the forum telling me that Lindgren was told not to come back to Enderby if she was going to act in that fashion.”

McCune said there had been talk for years about using the rail bed to alleviate traffic going through Enderby even when the railway was still operational.

“It’s a log jam and its starts earlier every year, especially with the improvements to the Trans Canada Highway.”