Photo by Jon Anderson
Bluff Park election forum 8-9-16
The three candidates for Hoover mayor and 15 candidates for seven Hoover City Council places listen as Heather Skaggs, a writer for the bluffparkal.org website, gives instructions for the election forum at Shades Crest Baptist Church on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016.
Residents of several Hoover neighborhoods this week are sponsoring two forums to introduce people to candidates running for mayor and the Hoover City Council.
The first one is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5, and will feature candidates for City Council, and the second one is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, and will feature the two candidates for mayor. Both will be held at Shades Crest Baptist Church at 452 Park Ave. in Bluff Park.
This event is structured as a forum, not a debate. Each candidate will individually address the same set of questions, with a timed response. Community members are encouraged to submit questions in advance via this Google Form.
Additionally, audience members will have the opportunity to submit follow-up questions to be presented during the second hour of the forums.
“We encourage all residents to attend the forum and take this opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about their visions for our city,” said Hoover Candidates Forum committee member Heather Skaggs. “Every election is important, and every voice matters in shaping the future of Hoover. Our goal with the forum is to provide a platform where residents can ask questions and get answers to make informed decisions ahead of the upcoming elections.”
This event began as the Bluff Park Forum in 2008 and initially was a section of the forum page on bluffparkal.org. Then in 2012, bluffparkal.org joined with the League of Women Voters to put on a live forum at the old Bluff Park School cafeteria.
In 2016, the Monte D’Oro Neighborhood Association became a co-sponsor, and in 2020, volunteers from several other Hoover neighborhoods such as Riverchase, Green Valley and Blackridge joined the organizing committee.
Next week, on Thursday, Aug. 14, the Hoover Sun, Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham, will hold another forum, with candidates for mayor and City Council both invited. That forum will be at the Hoover City Schools Performing Arts Center at Hoover High School at 6 p.m. with former state Rep. Paul DeMarco serving as moderator.
