SOLON, Ohio -- In Solon, voters are debating for whom to vote in next Tuesday's primary election, and it may come down to how the candidates intend to deal with the town's burgeoning deer population.

Solon's abundant deer population has become a campaign issue for many voters, reported 5 On Your Side government specialist Tony Gaskins.

Last year, the city spent $300,000 to hire sharpshooters to thin out the city's rampant deer herds.

The current mayor said he may or may not bring the rifles back this year, depending on how many deer remain.

Animal rights advocate Kim Gerace believes it has become a major campaign issue.

"Publicly, everyone's on the fence. If they were to come out right now and say that they were against culling, it would be instant death for them because the few people in town who are for culling would create such an outcry, and they have so much money to back them," said Gerace.

There are five candidates in the race for Solon mayor.

Candidate Stanley Gordon denies walking the fence on the issue, no matter what the political consequences are.

"You have to stand up and say what you have to say, and I believe we need to continue to cull the deer but in the most safe atmosphere possible," said Gordon.

Former Solon mayor and current candidate Robert Paulson said he's not made up his mind and simply wants to explore non-lethal methods to control deer numbers.

"My concern about the culling program is the cost. Five-hundred dollars a deer is very expensive on an ongoing basis, and I really struggle with that ongoing cost," said Paulson.

There are other campaign issues in the race for mayorm but around many Solon dinner tables, deer is the most talked about.

Many residents say they are not seeing nearly as many deer this year. Sharpshooters killed 600 deer last year.