Both of the newcomers competing to succeed retiring councilman Tom Blues would bring useful perspectives to city government — and, as newcomers, they also would have a lot to learn.

Shevawn Akers earns our endorsement because of her broader experience in community service and volunteerism.

Akers, who has a master's degree in social work, has worked for social service agencies while also serving on unpaid boards and lending her time and energy to all sorts of good causes, from raising awareness of homelessness to raising support for walking trails.

Akers also expresses a good grasp of Lexington's challenges, beginning with the $500 million underfunding of the police and firefighters' pensions. She's right when she says the city can't do much until it deals with that.

She also speaks of the vital importance of cleaning up Lexington's streams, in compliance with a federal court order.

Akers is committed to supporting redevelopment of the Distillery District along Manchester Street in the 2nd District and creating more parks in the district which has grown rapidly along the Leestown Road corridor without commensurate expansion of recreational opportunities.

The other candidate, Brannon Dunn, has also shown a strong desire to serve and is especially interested in addressing the causes and effects of youth violence and closing the education achievement gap for low-income and minority youngsters.

Dunn has a lot to offer and should keep working on — and drawing attention to — the social challenges he has identified and the disadvantaged neighborhoods he has championed.

Akers has thrown herself into waging an aggressive campaign and raised far more campaign money than Dunn. Neither candidate filed the campaign finance report that was due earlier this month before the end of the grace period, which may not speak well for either's attention to detail.

On balance, Akers is the stronger candidate. Second District voters should make her their representative on the Urban County Council.

The unendorsed candidate may submit a 250-word response by noon Thursday.