EDITOR’S NOTE: The Tillamook County Pioneer is sponsoring two candidates forums for Rockaway Beach, to ensure all candidates (or most of the candidates) could attend and due to the number of candidates, we will have a Mayors Candidate Forum on Oct. 11th and City Council Candidates on Oct. 16th at Rockway Beach Resort’s conference room with virtual/Zoom meeting capabilities. Watch for official announcements about the Rockaway Beach Candidates Forums. Mayor Charles McNeilly clears up the mis-information about other events that have been planned by some candidates.
By Charles McNeilly
Councilor Kristine Hayes posted to her personal Facebook page
In part, she writes: “Lastly, two forums (10/5, 10/15) have been scheduled with the AAUW and the HH for weeks at the school district building. Those running together with existing council members have boycotted them to undermine the election process. So, we may have four forums (10/5, 10/11, 10/15, 10/16). In the past, we have never had forums split between the mayor and council separately, and if a candidate could not make it, they were absent from the discussion; this is an apparent attempt to divide us all yet again and create confusion.”
Facts matter so allow me to share the Candidate Forum timeline as I experienced it.
1) On Tuesday, September 24th a Candidate standing for election in Rockaway Beach sent me a screen shot from Justin for Rockaway Beach Facebook site announcing Rockaway Beach Candidate Forums on October 5th and October 15th. Frankly this was the first I heard of Candidate Forums. I was not asked about my availability for these events. I am told other Candidates were also not asked their availability.
2) At the request of the AAUW moderator, the Tillamook County Pioneer stepped in on Wednesday, September 25th to organize an ALL (or most) CANDIDATE FORUM. In an email to Justin McMahan and copying all Candidates the Pioneer clarified: “Candidates do not set up or sponsor these forums – which are structured and follow a particular format – and need to be organized/sponsored by a neutral organization. There is a distinction between a sponsored forum and a meet/greet. Are you (Justin McMahan) just setting up “Meet & Greet” events?”
3) Subsequently, the Pioneer gathered ALL CANDIDATES availability and, to maximize candidate attendance, set October 11 for a Mayor Candidate Forum and October 16 for a Council Candidate Forum. There are 12 candidates standing for election in Rockaway Beach so I think this split, although done to optimize candidate attendance, will make for a better voter experience.
According to the Pioneer, all but two candidates have confirmed attendance (one mayoral candidate and one city council candidate), but we expect these candidates to also agree to attendance at the official forums on Oct. 11 and Oct. 16.
Trust me, no one has boycotted anything; it is hard to boycott events (October 5th and October 15th) if you don’t receive an invitation.