On Wednesday, the League will host an event at Alpena Community College featuring the three candidates vying for a pair of seats on the Alpena Municipal Council during the Nov. 5 election.

The free event is slated to begin at 7 p.m. and will feature candidates Mike Nowak, Mark Hunter and Danny Mitchell, who will each give an opening statement and then answer screened questions submitted by those in attendance.

Each candidate will then have a closing statement.

Voter Service Chairwoman Dottie Haase said that, as is always the case, the event is geared toward educating voters so they will know which candidate they are comfortable voting for on Election Day.

Mitchell

“The League sponsors forums as part of its mission, which reads ‘the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy,'” Haase said. “The League neither supports nor opposes any candidate or political party.”

Haase said audience questions will be screened by League members to ensure the question is relevant and not a duplicate of something that was asked and discussed previously.

The League also will offer information on the only other matter on Alpena ballots Nov. 5: A tax hike being sought for Dial-a-Ride Transportation, or DART. The proposal would raise the current DART property tax from 0.65 mills to 1 mill, an increase of $17.50 a year for the owner of a $100,000 house.

Alpena Mayor Matt Waligora is also on the ballot, but he is running unopposed. He needs at least one vote to be reelected.

The group recently changed its name from the League of Women Voters of Alpena County to the League of Women Voters of Northeast Michigan.

Nowak

Haase said that’s because the group has members from all over the area and leaders believed a name change would better represent what it is now.

“We have members from Alcona and Presque Isle counties, so it just made sense to change the name to be more inclusive to them,” Haase said.

The forum is being held in the Granum Theatre and voter information and sample ballots will be available.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.

If you go

∫ WHAT: League of Women Voters Alpena Municipal Council candidate forum

∫ WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday

∫ WHERE: Granum Theatre, Alpena Community College, 665 Johnson St.

∫ INFO: Incumbent Mike Nowak and challengers Mark Hunter and Danny Mitchell will answer screened questions from the audience and other information will be provided. For more information, visit lwvalpenacounty.org.