St. Charles candidate forum scheduled for March 14
St. Charles school board and city council candidates in contested races are expected to participate in a public forum next month hosted by the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County.
The event, scheduled for 7 p.m. March 14, aims to provide residents with an opportunity to ask questions and get to know the people running for office in their communities, said Patti Lackman of the league's local chapter.
"We do this as a community service," she said. "We don't charge people, we don't ever back a candidate. We want to ensure that voters are informed about where candidates stand on issues that are important to them as voters."
The St. Charles Unit District 303 school board candidates seeking three 4-year terms include current board President Kathy Hewell, as well as newcomers Jillian Barker, Michael Bryant, Rebecca McCabe and Garrett Seaman. Incumbent Nick Manheim and challenger Poonam Gupta-Krishnan are seeking a two-year term.
The only contested St. Charles city council race will be in Ward 2, where Ryan Bongard is challenging Rita Payleitner.
Lackman said the list of candidates participating in the forum has not been confirmed.
The forum will be held in Wiley Hall on the lower level of Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles.
The league initially reached out to District 303 asking to use one of its facilities for free, Lackman said, but the request was denied. Organization leaders were disappointed, she said, as it's often difficult for them to find convenient spaces to rent without hefty fees.
"We are nonprofit and nonpartisan," she said. "We literally beg for places to host things."
District spokeswoman Carol Smith said the board's policy prohibits candidates and political parties from posting or distributing materials other than when they're used as part of the curriculum.
"Based on this, our legal counsel advised us not to host candidate forums," she said.
The league's Central Kane County chapter also plans to host forums featuring candidates in Aurora, Batavia, Geneva and Sugar Grove, Lackman said.