To allow community members to hear from candidates prior to the Nov. 7 General Election, the Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Meet the Candidates event next month.

The event will be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25 in the Linton-Stockton High School Auditeria. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Entrance to the event is free; however, concessions will be available for a fee.

According to Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cheryl Hamilton, invitations for the event have been extended to all candidates – regardless if they are running opposed or unopposed.

The event will not be a debate, rather candidates will be asked questions submitted by community members.

“We are accepting questions from the general public,” Hamilton said. “We cannot guarantee, due to time constraints, that every question submitted will be asked.”

Those wishing to submit questions must do so by 9 a.m. on Oct. 4.

Questions can be mailed to the Chamber office at P.O. Box 208, Linton, Ind., 47441, dropped off at the Chamber office at 390 A Street Northeast, or emailed to info@lintonchamber.org.

“No questions will be accepted from the audience the evening of the Meet the Candidates,” Hamilton stressed. “All questions must be submitted on or before the October 4 deadline to be considered.”

Hamilton said it’s important for the community to participate not only by attending the event but also by submitting questions.

“It's an opportunity for the citizens of Linton to hear directly from the candidates their answers to the concerns of citizens. The citizens elect our city officials. Too many times we all hear grumblings from the public on the way the officials handle city business or that the business is not handled the way the citizens wanted it handled,” Hamilton said. “This event gives the public an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates. It is also going to give the candidates an opportunity to learn what concerns the citizens have. Yes, we have seats in Linton that are running unopposed. Perhaps this event could inspire someone in the audience to run for office in the future. "

Candidates on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot for the City of Linton include:

Mayor

John Preble, R

Brent A. Murray, D

Clerk-Treasurer

Claudia Walker, D

City Council, District 3

Tony Richards, D

City Council, District 4

Linda D. Bedwell, D

City Council, District 5

Leslie Newman, D