Written by Whitley Kilcrease

Election season is in full swing in Pike County, with municipal positions up for grabs in less than a month.

The Pike County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor two political forums to give the community a chance to meet and talk with the candidates for the upcoming August 28 elections.

Candidates from Troy and Goshen will participate in the first forum to be held August 14 at the Pike County Courthouse at 5:30 p.m. The second forum will be on August 21 at The Station in Brundidge at 5:30 p.m. and will include candidates from Brundidge and Banks.

“The right to vote is a basic privilege of all Americans,” Kathleen Sauer, president of Pike County Chamber of Commerce said. “It is our obligation to learn about each candidate in order to make an informed decision.”

According to Leigh Anne Windham, membership and community development coordinator the Chamber, candidates will be asked questions from three panelists concerning a number of topics. However, the forums are still in the planning stage and topics of discussion have yet to be decided.

Sauer said audience members might be asked to submit questions on note cards and then have the panelists choose from the submitted questions. Audience members will also be encouraged to stay after the session to talk to the candidates and ask them even more questions.

Windham said the Chamber sent invitations to all municipal candidates in the area and a handful of them have confirmed their attendance.

“It’s important for the candidates to attend because they have the opportunity to share their views with the local voting community,” Windham said. “It’s important for the community because they get to hear from the candidates running for these seats.”

Jim Roling of WTBF is confirmed as a panelist for both sessions and Stacy Graning of The Messenger will participate in the Brundidge panel.

There will be live coverage of the discussions on the Troy Cable channel and WTBF and complete coverage, including video, will be available to review on The Messenger’s website for community members who are unable to attend the forums.