Staff reports
This Tuesday will mark the second combined appearance for at least five candidates for the upcoming Jackson Mayoral election.
Eight days before early voting, all six candidates have indicated they will attend the Jackson Mayoral Forum at Jackson State, coordinated by The Jackson Post and West TN PBS.
Coordinators met with candidates last week to let them know about the format for the forum.
Each candidate will have 90 seconds for an opening statement, and then there be a Q&A session for the majority of the next hour as each candidate will have 30 seconds to answer questions.
Those questions will pertain to the issues that look to be relevant in Jackson for the next four years including crime, trash, roads, Blue Oval City’s impact, housing and more.
“We’re looking forward to a beneficial discussion from the candidates about the issues related to this election,” said Post managing editor Brandon Shields. “As has been the case for the past year-and-a-half since the arrival of Ford Motor Company and SK Innovations at Blue Oval City in Haywood County, the candidates appear to agree this is an important time in the 200-year history of Jackson, possibly the most important.
“How well Jackson prepares for the next decade appears to have the potential to affect Jackson for the following five or six decades – maybe more. So plans for the next four years are important from these candidates, and it’s important over the next few weeks for the voters to be informed about the plans of each of them. This forum is a great way to get informed with the questions we have planned.”
At the end of the hour, each candidate will then have a minute for a closing statement.
The Post’s Shields and Julia Ewoldt will moderate the forum, that will stream live on PBS’ Facebook page and will air 10 times throughout the month of April and on the night of May 1, the night before Election Day, to give voters plenty of chances to watch.