Do you have questions for local candidates? Now you have an outlet in which to ask.
Grove City Tomorrow, a local non-profit educational foundation, will sponsor a candidate forum on Oct. 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Monterey Care Center, 3929 Hoover Road. Voters will get to meet the candidates for Grove City council, Jackson Township trustee and South-Western City Schools Board of Education.
"This will give people a chance to see what the candidates priorities and values are and hopefully they will get a straight answer," said Executive Director of Grove City Tomorrow Rocky Black.
Black said 10 out of 13 candidates have said they plan to attend, including all council candidates.
"We are very pleased with the response from candidates," said Black. "We hope to have them all by October 24th."
Candidates from city council are Samuel Clark, Gregory Grinch, Jeffrey LeVally, Maria Klemack-McGraw and Michael Uhrin. They represent council at large, ward two and ward four. Steve Bowshier and Reginald Brown are vying for the Jackson Township trustee seat. Those competing for a seat on the SWCS board include Melinda Garverick, Susan Greenway and Randy Reisling.
"Our forum will focus on the non-mayoral races," said Black. "Mayoral candidates may attend, but will not be given the time to speak."
The Grove City Chamber of Commerce hosted a mayoral forum and Black explained that Grove City Tomorrow did not want to take anything away from that event.
This is the first political forum the organization has hosted.
"We thought this would be in line with our community focus," Black noted.
Former councilman Budd Eversman will emcee the forum. Each candidate will be given three minutes for an opening statement. They will have 90 seconds to respond to questions submitted by audience members. Eversman and facilitators will screen questions for "offensive or unfair material."
"This is important because it gives voters the opportunity to speak to these candidates about issues important to them and the community," said Black. "When they are elected, they will be harder to get a hold of."
The forum is free of charge and open to the public.
