Forum Lets Public Grill City Candidates

Oxnard residents will get a chance to quiz the candidates for city offices by phone or e-mail during a call-in forum Wednesday night.

The forum, involving the 13 candidates for mayor, City Council, treasurer and city clerk, will take place in the City Hall council chambers. The candidates will answer questions from both the live audience and viewers watching on cable channels 10 and 17.

The forum is sponsored by the Inter-Neighborhood Council Forum, which represents the city’s 44 neighborhood councils. This will be the first time the forum will include candidates for city treasurer and city clerk, said Donna Helms, Oxnard’s neighborhood services coordinator.

People have already begun e-mailing questions for the candidates, Helms said.

“We’ve had a very good response,” she said. “Usually the audience is pretty well prepared with questions.”

Candidates will be allowed two-minute opening statements, one-minute closing statements and one minute to answer each question.

The candidates forum is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. at City Hall, 305 W. 3rd St. The public is invited to attend.

Call 385-7803 during the meeting to ask questions, or e-mail them to [email protected] by 5 p.m. Wednesday.