Montpelier Rotary and The Bridge to Present Candidate Forums Feb. 26

MONTPELIER – The Montpelier Rotary Club will host a forum for City Council candidates
from 2 to 3 p.m. The events are free and open to the public, although seating space is limited at City Hall.

The Bridge's Managing Editor, Cassandra Hemenway, will moderate the live, in-person event. Viewers can also watch live from ORCA Media on Comcast channel 1085 and online at orcamedia.net. The forum will be recorded and available for later viewing at orcamedia.net.

"We're accustomed to having candidates for local office present their ideas to the Rotary Club, and we're happy to collaborate with The Bridge and ORCA to make these sessions available to the public," said Bill Miles, president of the Rotary Club of Montpelier for 2023-2024. "This event contributes to our mission of serving our community and we're pleased to be able to present it."

Montpelier's election with take place on Town Meeting Day, March 5, with voting by Australian Ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall. Registered voters can also request and file mail-in ballots from the Vermont Secretary of State's "My Voter Page" at https://mvp.vermont.gov/.

Three candidates are running for the contested District 1 city council seat currently held by Dona Bate. Bate is seeking re-election against challengers Nat Frothingham and Adrienne Gil. Councilors Sal Alfano in District 2 and Cary Brown in District 3 are running for re-election, but both are unopposed. The forum will focus on the contested race.

Candidates will have a chance to introduce themselves and outline their visions for the city. Moderator Hemenway will also pose additional questions.

"We are grateful to Cassandra Hemenway and The Bridge for participating in this event, and to ORCA for broadcasting it." Miles added. "The forum will help Montpelier voters decide who will lead our city in the year ahead."

The Montpelier Rotary Club is a professional service organization with local and international programing that seeks to create better relationships and cooperation among the peoples of the world. Among its local programs are the middle school backpack program, the Kitzmiller Memorial Coat Drive, and annual scholarships for local high school seniors, awarding more than $70,000 each year. The club will present its second annual Casino Night event to raise money for these and other programs at the Capital Plaza Hotel on May 17. The Montpelier Rotary Club, in concert with Rotary International and the world's 4200 Rotary clubs in 118 countries, are also engaged in a long-range campaign to eradicate Polio worldwide.

The Club meets twice per month on Mondays and celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 9, 2023.

Apr 29, 2024, 6:30 to 8:30 PM

May 4, 2024, 12 to 11 AM

May 4, 2024, 9 AM to 1 PM