craigdailypress.com

Candidates vying for Craig City Council seats will have a chance to jockey for Election Day position during a forum set for a week before the April 3 election.

The forum, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Sunset Mea-dows I, 663 Ledford St. The AARP Craig Chapter No. 1418 will host the forum.

Anyone is welcome to attend the forum, AARP President Bev-erly Chapman said.

"Our meetings are always open to the public," she said. "Any voter who wants to come is welcome to join us."

Three council candidates -- Ray Beck, Rod Compton and Bridgette Harris -- have indicated they will attend the forum, Chapman said Wed-nesday.

Invitations have been extended to the two remaining candidates, incumbent councilman Joe Herod and David VanWagner. An invitation to incumbent Mayor Don Jones, who is running an unopposed re-election bid, is pending, Chapman said.

The forum format entails each candidate addressing the audience, followed by a question-and-answer session, Chapman said.

Five candidates are running for three open council seats. Council members Tom Gilchrist and Kent Nielson are term limited, and Herod is seeking to retain his position.

Previous city elections have had low voter turnouts, somewhere between 530 and 550 of the 5,000-plus registered voters.

Craig city clerk Shirley Seely said she's unsure of what to expect next month.

"That's an iffy thing," she said. "You just never know until that day. We're hoping for a good turnout."

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, April 3, at Centennial Mall, 1111 W. Victory Way.

Seely said the last day to pick up absentee ballots from City Hall is March 30.

For more information on the candidate forum, call Chapman at 824-5123.

Joshua Roberts can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 210, or jroberts@craigdailypress.com.