Four Tay Valley Township municipal election candidates say they will not take part in Wednesday night’s Meet the Candidates event at ABC Hall, citing concerns about changes to how the event is being organized.
In a statement provided exclusively to LanarkLeedsToday.ca, Marilyn Thomas, Greg Hallam and Angela Pierman say they reached the decision after what they describe as careful consideration.
The candidates say they strongly support giving residents opportunities to hear directly from those seeking office, but believe those opportunities need to take place in a fair, respectful and impartial setting.
They say that since the ABC Hall event was originally announced, both the independent third-party organizer and the original moderator have stepped away.
Thomas, Hallam and Pierman say further changes to the organization of the evening, including the involvement of individuals whose impartiality they have concerns about, left them without confidence that the current format offers the neutral forum they believe candidates and residents deserve.
They did not identify the individuals they are concerned about or provide additional details about the changes.
In a phone call to lanarkleedstoday.ca Wednesday morning, council candidate Keith Kerr also confirmed he is not partaking in the debate for the same reason.
The candidates also stress that their decision should not be interpreted as an attempt to avoid questions or public discussion.
They say they remain committed to speaking with residents, answering questions about local issues and participating in campaign events they believe provide a fair and impartial forum for everyone involved.
The ABC Hall event is scheduled for tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 7 to 9 p.m.)
LanarkLeedsToday.ca had previously reported Thomas, Hallam and Pierman among the candidates expected to attend.
Thomas is running for reeve, Hallam for deputy reeve, while Pierman is seeking a council seat in Burgess Ward, according to Tay Valley Township’s official candidate information.
Read the unedited release:
For Release on Wednesday, October 7th
After careful consideration, Tay Valley Municipal candidates, Marilyn Thomas, Greg Hallam and Angela Pierman have decided not to participate in the upcoming ABC Hall Meet the Candidates event this evening.
We strongly believe residents deserve opportunities to hear from candidates in a fair, respectful and impartial setting. Since this event was originally announced, both the independent third-party organizer and the original moderator have stepped away.
With the subsequent changes to the organization of the event, including the involvement of individuals whose impartiality we have concerns about, we no longer have confidence that the event in its current format provides the neutral forum candidates and residents deserve.
This decision is not about avoiding questions or public discussion. We remain fully committed to answering residents’ questions, discussing the issues that matter to our community and participating in opportunities that provide a fair and impartial forum for all candidates.
We look forward to continuing those conversations with you throughout the campaign.
