In-person attendance capacity has been met for a candidate forum scheduled for Thursday evening at the Lyceum at Lee (the former Lee High School property).
As of press time, 10 of the 14 candidates seeking office in this year’s Columbus municipal elections have confirmed they will participate in the forum set for 6:30-8 p.m. Those candidates will have the opportunity to answer questions citizens submitted in advance.
The Dispatch, WCBI and Lyceum at Lee is sponsoring the event. WCBI will moderate the forum, which will be livestreamed at wcbi.com. For those who miss the livestream, the event will be broadcast at 11 a.m. Saturday on MyMS.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for Columbus citizens to inform their voting decisions,” said Peter Imes, publisher for The Dispatch.
Incumbent mayor Robert Smith, who is still recovering from recent health issues, will not participate in the forum. Nor will Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Taylor Stewart, who is running in a competitive race.
Smith sent his regrets to The Dispatch on Monday.
“Due to my health issues at the present time, I will not be able to attend the candidate’s forum at Lee. I am still under a doctor’s care,” he said. “Thank you for the invitation.”
All available in-person tickets have been reserved for the free event. Clusters of chairs will be spaced six feet apart from each other. Masks are required for the duration of the event, and social distancing will be encouraged.
Portions of the renovated historic Lee property will be available for viewing by ticket-holders from 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. prior to the event.
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