The League of Women Voters of Mexico/Audrain County is sponsoring a forum for candidates running for city council, the school board, and for the unexpired term for the hospital board of trustees.
The forum is slated for 7 p.m. March 31 in the Mexico Public Schools Central Office Board Room. The event is free and open to the public.
There are five Mexico School Board candidates – Robby Miller, Dustin Pascoe, Elwood Rice (incumbent), Nancy Goedeke and Todd Ralls – vying for two seats on the board. The Mexico City Council has two candidates, Mayor Virginia Robertson (incumbent) and Chris P. Williams, running for one city council seat. The Audrain Medical Center Board of Trustees race has two challengers – Bill Dubbert and John R. Johnson – competing for the four-year unexpired term.
Each of the candidates were given two questions in advance to prepare: "What are your qualifications for office?" and "What do you see as the two major issues facing the position you are running for in the coming term?" They will have two minutes to reply to the prepared questions.
Since the public is invited, the audience also will have the opportunity to ask questions. Candidates will have one minute to respond to those inquiries.
The League of Women Voters has a wide history. From the Equal Rights Amendment to pay equity to CEDAW, the League has been a consistent champion for women's equal rights. This year marks its 90th anniversary on both the national and local levels.
"This organization worked hard to give women the right to vote. The Mexico local league began the same year as the national league, and the organization itself, grew out of the Suffragette Movement held in 1920," explained league member Alice Leonatti. One of the arms of the association, she said, is voter service – which is the part sponsoring the candidate forum.
Offering the forum, Leonatti said, "provides education opportunities for voters to learn about the issues and the candidates."
As a non-partisan political organization, LWV does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Issues it may lobby for include education, taxation, environmental, and anything in the political arena – as long as the issues have been studied and voted on by its membership.
Tuesday night, the group met to discuss "Funding for the Public Good" at a meeting held at the Chamber of Commerce. Normally, members meet the second Tuesday of each month, September through May.
Leonatti said the length of this year's forum depends on the size of the audience and the number of questions asked. Traditionally, the event is over in an hour or two. She's uncertain if another forum will be offered for the August primaries, but said one is being planned for the November election.
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The League of Women Voters of Mexico/Audrain County is sponsoring a forum for candidates running for city council, the school board, and for the unexpired term for the hospital board of trustees.
The forum is slated for 7 p.m. March 31 in the Mexico Public Schools Central Office Board Room. The event is free and open to the public.
There are five Mexico School Board candidates – Robby Miller, Dustin Pascoe, Elwood Rice (incumbent), Nancy Goedeke and Todd Ralls – vying for two seats on the board. The Mexico City Council has two candidates, Mayor Virginia Robertson (incumbent) and Chris P. Williams, running for one city council seat. The Audrain Medical Center Board of Trustees race has two challengers – Bill Dubbert and John R. Johnson – competing for the four-year unexpired term.
Each of the candidates were given two questions in advance to prepare: "What are your qualifications for office?" and "What do you see as the two major issues facing the position you are running for in the coming term?" They will have two minutes to reply to the prepared questions.
Since the public is invited, the audience also will have the opportunity to ask questions. Candidates will have one minute to respond to those inquiries.
The League of Women Voters has a wide history. From the Equal Rights Amendment to pay equity to CEDAW, the League has been a consistent champion for women's equal rights. This year marks its 90th anniversary on both the national and local levels.
"This organization worked hard to give women the right to vote. The Mexico local league began the same year as the national league, and the organization itself, grew out of the Suffragette Movement held in 1920," explained league member Alice Leonatti. One of the arms of the association, she said, is voter service – which is the part sponsoring the candidate forum.
Offering the forum, Leonatti said, "provides education opportunities for voters to learn about the issues and the candidates."
As a non-partisan political organization, LWV does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Issues it may lobby for include education, taxation, environmental, and anything in the political arena – as long as the issues have been studied and voted on by its membership.
Tuesday night, the group met to discuss "Funding for the Public Good" at a meeting held at the Chamber of Commerce. Normally, members meet the second Tuesday of each month, September through May.
Leonatti said the length of this year's forum depends on the size of the audience and the number of questions asked. Traditionally, the event is over in an hour or two. She's uncertain if another forum will be offered for the August primaries, but said one is being planned for the November election.
