In anticipation of the upcoming Chatham County Commission election, the Georgia Conservancy and Savannah Bicycle Campaign will host a candidate forum on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 in at 7:30 p.m. at the Coastal Georgia Center on Fahm Street.

Candidates will answer questions about their positions on a variety of issues related to land use, transportation, land conservation and growth. The questions have been pre-written and will not be made available to candidates prior to arrival. However, links to information and educational materials on all the issues covered by the questions have been sent to the candidates in advance of the evening’s forum. Additionally, any time remaining at the end of the scripted questioning will be made available for questions from the audience.

Panelists include Jim Morekis, Editor-in-Chief of Connect Savannah, Dionne Hoskins, Chair of the Chatham County Resource Protection Commission and Associate Graduate Professor at Savannah State University, and Orlando Montoya, Savannah-based news producer with Georgia Public Broadcasting.

All candidates are invited and will have reserved seating on stage, including those in uncontested races.  Patty McIntosh of the Georgia Conservancy stated, “We recognize the evening’s dialogue as vital to the democratic process and to countywide constituents, and hope that all candidates will choose to participate in this important event regardless of whether their seats are being challenged.”

Districts 1, 4, 6 and Commission Chair face contested races. All opposing candidates will participate in the forum.  This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Summer Teal Simpson at (912) 447-5910.

The Georgia Conservancy is a statewide, non-profit organization that develops solutions to protect Georgia’s environment through collaboration, education and advocacy. Since establishing a coastal office in Savannah in 1972, the Georgia Conservancy has been engaged in water, land and growth management issues locally and throughout the coastal region.

The Savannah Bicycle Campaign aims to promote bicycling in the community and to create, strengthen and unite local bicycle groups, riders, and enthusiasts to improve conditions for cyclists in Savannah.