Voters listen to experts speak during the Johnson County Voter Forum on April 23 at the Johnson County Museum of History in Franklin.
Daily Journal file photo
Quality of life is the buzzword that drives the conversation on growth. With growth on the minds of voters around Johnson County, it was a natural focus for an upcoming voter forum to be hosted by the Daily Journal and community partners.
The newspaper joins with Bridges Alliance of Johnson County, the League of Women Voters of Johnson County and Franklin College’s Department of Political Science to invite voters and candidates to the forum. The event will be 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Branigin Room in the Napolitan Student Center on Franklin College’s campus.
Candidates from all parties for all offices on the ballot have been invited to join the forum. Twenty-one candidates for local and state offices have said they will attend. This includes school boards, Johnson County Council and Board of Commissioners, Superior Court 1 Judge, Indiana House of Representatives and Senate, Indiana governor and U.S. Congressional District 6.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with an introduction by emcee Jody Veldkamp, marketing and communications manager for the Johnson County Public Library.
Local experts will give presentations on quality of life, housing, schools and health care. Candidates in attendance will give short remarks after the experts speak. Discourse on the four topics will be followed up by general questions from the audience, which can be directed to a particular candidate or candidates in general. The program will end with a 30-minute meet and greet between candidates and voters beginning at 8 p.m.
The following candidates have RSVP’d to the event:
- Donald Rainwater, Libertarian for Indiana Governor
- Cinde Wirth, Democrat for U.S. House 6th District
- Suzanne Fortenberry, Democrat for State Senate District 36
- Rodric Bray, Republican for State Senate District 37
- Michael Potter, Democrat for Indiana House District 47
- Sandy James, Democrat for Indiana House District 58
- Michelle Higgs, Democrat for Indiana House District 60
- Brandi Foster Kirkendall, Republican for Superior Court 1 Judge
- Chele Heid, Democrat for Johnson County Commissioner District 3
- Michael Chiappetta, Blythe Potter and Saad Tawfeeq, Democrats for Johnson County Council at-large
- Charity Flores, Rob Daniels and Nicole Kemp, Center Grove School Board
- Vernon “Butch” Zike, Jr., Clark Pleasant School Board — At-large
- Scott Setser, candidate for Clark Pleasant School Board — Pleasant Township
- Jennifer Briggs-Mann and Kristi Ott, Franklin Community School Board – city of Franklin seat
- Debbie Gill and Maureen Burkardt, Franklin School Board – Franklin Township seat
