Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)– The Committee for Non-Partisan Local Government in Park Forest met last week in Village Hall to finalize plans for the upcoming forums in advance of the April 7 election. There are three Village Trustee seats open and two six-year seats open on the Library Board, and one seat for an unexpired term on the Library Board.
There will be four forums. The first is scheduled for this Sunday, February 15, at 2:00 p.m. in Village Hall. This forum will be sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Park Forest Area. The next forum, sponsored by the Park Forest Cooperatives, will occur a month later on Sunday, March 15, at 2:00 p.m. There will be a forum at the Matteson Holiday Inn on Tuesday, March 17, sponsored by the Kiwanis of Park Forest. This forum is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. The final forum will be held at the Park Forest Library on Sunday, March 22, at 2:15 p.m. This forum will be sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
One major policy difference with the Non-Partisan Committee this year is the requirement that candidates who do not sign a campaign practices statement they will not be permitted to participate in election forums sponsored by the Non-Partisan Committee. The statement “prohibits slating, running other than as an individual,” said board member Al Sturges. “If they don’t do that, they cannot participate in the forums.”
Candidates must also remain independent during the campaign. If any candidates who signed the Candidates’ Campaign Practice Statement are found in violation of that statement, they will be barred from participating in the remaining forums.
The Non-Partisan Committee also makes flyers with candidates’ statements available at these forums . If individuals who do not sign request, their statement will be included in this flyer.
Nine individuals serve on the Non-Partisan Committee’s Board of Directors. There will be five vacancies this year. Elections for these positions will take place at the Non-Partisan Committee’s Annual Meeting which will take place on the Saturday following the spring election, April 11.
The writer is a Village Trustee in Park Forest, and has signed the Candidates’ Campaign Practice Statement. He is not up for re-election this April.
