|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Editorials
Mark your calendar, attend a forum : Editorials : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisMark your calendar, attend a forum
| 2/28/2013
|
Oswego-Montgomery area voters will have the opportunity to see and hear many of the candidates for local office in the April 9 election over the new few weeks.
As we reported last week, several Oswego School District employees' unions will co-sponsor a forum for candidates seeking election to the school district board on Thursday, March 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Oswego East High School.
A total of seven candidates-all first-time school board candidates-are seeking election to four open seats on the board. (None of the four current board incumbents chose to seek re-election.)
In Oswego, the Chamber of Commerce will host a candidates' forum for the-candidates seeking election to three open seats on the village board on Wednesday, March 6 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Oswego Village Hall. A total of seven candidates are seeking election, including three incumbents.
Montgomery voters will elect three members to the village board and a new village president to succeed the retiring Marilyn Michelini.
The Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce will host a candidates' forum for the eight candidates seeking election to the village board on Thursday, March 7 beginning at 7 p.m. at village hall.
Exactly two weeks later on Thursday, March 21, the Chamber of Commerce will host a second forum featuring the three candidates seeking election as village president. The forum will start at 7 p.m., also at village hall.
We're hopeful that many area residents will mark their calendars accordingly and choose to attend the forums. Historically, however, local elections generate a sparse voter turnout. Less than 17 percent of local voters even bothered to cast ballots in the last local election held in April 2011.
The low turnout at many of the forums held prior to other local elections is discouraging because those elected are the ones that will play a significant role in determining the quality of education children receive in local schools and the services they receive from their municipal government.
Last year about this time the Oswego East High School auditorium was filled with interested and many concerned parents as school board members and administrators worked to re-draw attendance boundary lines for the district's 22 schools.
It would be refreshing to see another full house in that same auditorium March 14 for the school board candidates' forum. After all, the four folks who will be elected April 9 will help determine how attendance boundaries are re-drawn the next time.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
