Forum set for hot mayor's race

City voters will have a chance to question the four candidates for mayor at a forum Monday from 7-8:30 p.m. at the high school library.

The four candidates on the Feb. 15 primary ballot are: Cecil Bjork, current mayor; Katie Chaffee, local journalist; Ann Dravis, City Council president; and Duane Pederson, former council member and mayor from 1990-98.

Each has agreed to participate in the forum, co-sponsored by the area League of Women Voters and the local American Association of University Women.

Spectators can write and submit their questions. These will be asked of all four candidates by a moderator. Each candidate will also give opening and closing remarks.

Ann Gustafson, AAUW member, will serve as the forum's moderator.

While forums sponsored by the LWV and the AAUW are rare for primary elections, the four-candidate mayor's race has sparked much community discussion.

LWV spokeswoman Ruth Kalms said this strong interest in the election is a good reason to hold the Monday, Jan. 31, forum.

"Our goal is to encourage voters to make informed choices between candidates and to then become involved in the electoral process by attending the forum or watching the forum over cable, and voting on the 15th of February" she said.

A taped broadcast of the forum will be shown periodically on the city's public-access Channel 12 prior to the primary.

The primary election will slash the field of candidates from four to two. The two finalists will compete for the mayor's job in the April 4 general election.