Candidates for the upcoming municipal election are busy campaigning through out BC, and in Nelson candidates are preparing to engage with the community at several all-candidates forums.
“All-candidates forums are important because most people will never go to a city council meeting in their life, and so perhaps this is the one golden opportunity before people get elected to find out who the decision makers are going to be, to get a look at them and to ask questions,” said Glenn Hicks news director for 103.5 The Bridge FM.
“You’re allowed to ask whatever questions you like at a public forum to find out what their about and to find out about their background, or to ask a few specific questions that are pertinent to you and find out specifically what human being is going to representing your community for the next three years.”
Hicks who has hosted and co-hosted many forums since arriving in Nelson seven years ago said that all-candidates forums can be a bit dull.
“We like to ensure that at least they’re spiced up a bit, otherwise they can be quite bland,” he said. “Sometimes politics is bland but when I’m involved in co-sponsoring or co-hosting an all-candidates debate I like to make it fun or provocative. While other all-candidates forums may be a bit pedestrian, I certainly try to make sure that the candidates have fun and have to think on their feet a bit.”
Hicks said at most all-candidates forums there have been at least a few some memorable moments.
“It’s good to see candidates get a little bit touchy and if you hit an occasional raw nerve that’s important because after all these people are going to be representatives of us the voter,” he said.
“Most all-candidates forums have a nice moment or two with each candidate where you know you’ve hit a bit of a raw nerve or you’ve touched on a subject that gets them going. That’s what it’s all about because, to be frank, most council meetings for the next three years aren’t going to have a lot of fireworks.”
Many of the topics that are likely to come up at the upcoming forums will be reminiscent of past events, but Hicks said there will be some interesting new additions.
“Without doubt the local transit issue, I suspect the Occupy Nelson movement and the economic associations with that, interestingly those are issues that are only a couple of weeks old,” he said.
Other economic issues that may come up will be taxation and how it relates to services and the cost of city employees.
Hicks also suspected the movement of the waste transfer station next to Pacific Insight maybe discussed at the forums.
The first all-candidates forum of this year’s municipal election run will be on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Oso Negro, and will feature a different forum format.
Speed Candi-dating is a spin-off of speed dating. It provides a unique opportunity to spend three minutes one-on-one with candidates asking questions, raising issues, and connecting personally.
There will also be a forum organized by the West Kootenay Ecosociety and In The Koots at United Church from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, November 15 the Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce, the Nelson Star and 103.5 The Bridge FM will be sponsoring an all-candidates forum at Prestige Lakeside Resort from 7 to 9 p.m.
And the last forum will be at Central School from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16.
For more municipal election coverage visit nelsonstar.com