MITCHELL S.D. (Mitchell Now) The Government Affairs Committee of the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce will host a public forum to include candidates for the upcoming election for Mitchell City Council and Mitchell School Board, as well as representatives to discuss the pros and cons of the ballot issue. The forum will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at the Dakota Wesleyan University Sherman Center beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The forum will begin with discussion on the ballot issue with Jordan Hanson advocating for and Randy Reider opposing. Following them will be Mitchell School Board Candidates, Vanessa Klock and Deb Everson. The forum will end with City Council Candidates, Sarah Deakins, John Doescher, Ken Schlimgen, Patrick McGeough, Tim Goldammer, Shaun Davis, Mike Bathke, Jason Greenway, and Jay Schreurs.
In the spirit of transparency and fairness, the event is open to the public, with both in-person attendance and livestream viewing options available. Attendees are encouraged to arrive prepared to engage with the candidates and ballot issue representatives. However, to maintain the integrity of the forum as an educational platform, candidates will neither distribute nor be permitted to utilize campaign materials during the event. A forum is a public event where candidates running for office are given the opportunity to express their positions on issues. In a bid to maintain equality among candidates, the Committee has ruled out any candidates running for office from addressing the ballot issue. This measure ensures that each participant receives an equal opportunity to voice their positions without the risk of undue influence or bias.
Forums are open and free for the public to attend. The forum will also be livestreamed by the Mitchell Republic on their website thanks to a sponsorship from Patzer Woodworking.
Members of the local media have been invited to pose questions to the candidates, and audience members will have the opportunity to submit written inquiries for consideration. To ensure a diverse range of topics and fairness in questioning, audience inquiries will be vetted by media representatives for duplication and appropriateness.
For additional information, please contact the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce at 605-996-5567 or e-mail johanna@mitchellsd.com.