Government / Politics

BenitoLink, Farm Bureau to Host Election Forums

Meet local candidates and learn about ballot measures in the upcoming primary election
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BenitoLink.com and the San Benito County Farm Bureau are pleased to announce they will be joining up to provide forums for San Benito County residents regarding the upcoming primary and general elections.

These informational forums, scheduled for April, September and October, will be presented as an impartial venue so that residents can learn about important issues facing San Benito County. They are also a chance for residents to meet candidates who are running for public office in their community. BenitoLink and the Farm Bureau are dedicated to providing a fair opportunity for all candidates and an open discussion on local ballot measures.

The location and times for the primary election forum will be announced in the next few weeks. The format will be a combination of prepared questions and previously-supplied citizen questions posed to candidates and those presenting measures. No questions will be made available to participants prior to the event.

The San Benito County Farm Bureau, a nonprofit, has been hosting forums as a service to the community for more than 15 years. Its mission is to preserve and promote agriculture in San Benito County through education, leadership and service.

BenitoLink is a nonprofit website providing news and information about San Benito County. The site welcomes respectful discussion of issues important to local residents. BenitoLink’s mission is to help inform and engage the community by providing dependable local coverage, particularly regarding government and politics, as well as encouraging public participation in the journalistic process.

Mindy Sotelo of the Farm Bureau said that she is looking forward to hosting the election forums and the opportunity to help residents follow the political activity of the county. 

BenitoLink staff realize that residents have busy lives and it is challenging to make time to attend public meetings. The Farm Bureau and BenitoLink hope the election-year forums will assist county residents in making informed decisions about the upcoming candidate races and ballot measures.

 

Leslie David

Leslie David is a Bay Area independent reporter/producer and is a BenitoLink founding board member. She has produced for radio, television, newspaper and magazines in both California and Wyoming. She was with KRON-TV News in San Francisco as camera-woman, editor and field producer, where she won the Commonwealth Club's Thomas Storke Award with Linda Yee for their series on the Aids Epidemic. She started as a small market news reporter shooting her own 16mm film at KEYT-TV Santa Barbara. Leslie lives on a ranch with her family in San Benito County.