The neighborhood associations of Highland Park, Glenwood, Orchard Knob and Ridgedale are working together to host a candidate forum for the Districts 8 & 9 City Council and Mayoral candidates for office. Coffee and Conversation with the Candidates will take place from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, at Sacra Coffee and Tea, at 801 S. Orchard Knob Ave. in Highland Park. Every candidate has confirmed their attendance for the event.
“Neighborhood associations are a gateway to democracy,” said Khristy Wilkinson, vice president of the Highland Park Neighborhood Association. “Local elections are very important and our organizations have an opportunity to increase civic engagement in the city -- that’s one of our goals this year.”
The non-partisan forum is especially for voters who are still undecided, or who recently learned that there is an election coming up. It’s also for residents to engage with their elected officials.
“Voter turnout is consistently low in Highland Park as it is everywhere in Tennessee,” said Emerson Burch, president of the association. “We want our neighbors to feel heard by the candidates, and we want to encourage them to be a part of choosing our representation at the city level.”
This forum will focus on issues of governance in the City of Chattanooga. Candidates will have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience and briefly explain how they will use the authority of their office to work for the welfare of our city and/or the residents of their districts. Introductions will be followed by a Q & A session and questions will come from the audience. The forum will be moderated by Marvene Noel, president of the Orchard Knob Neighborhood Association. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.