The Tidewater News at 7 p.m. today, March 28, will host a forum at the Paul D. Camp Community College Workforce Development Center for Franklin City Council candidates running for office on May 1.

C. Earl Blythe, no relation to Councilman Don Blythe, is challenging incumbent Barry Cheatham in Ward 1. Mona Murphy and Linwood Johnson are running for the Ward 4 seat currently held by Raystine Johnson, who is running for mayor.

On Wednesday, April 4, a similar event will be held for Franklin mayoral candidates at the same time and location. Also running for mayor are Councilman Greg McLemore and incumbent Jim Councill.

Candidates will answer questions submitted in advance by readers and from the newspaper staff.

Without giving away any of the specific questions, reader submissions have focused on a few key areas, including the role of mayor in city government, identifying economic development opportunities and the opportunity for the city to find ways to share resources with neighboring localities to reduce expenses.

Forums such as these provide voters with a unique and important opportunity to hear the candidates’ positions on issues, and to see how well they think on their feet and how they conduct themselves in a public setting.

Based on additional feedback from readers regarding the Franklin City Council in recent years, public decorum displayed by its elected officials is definitely something voters have on their minds. We hope concerned voters come out and hear from the candidates.