Have a question for a candidate?

Now is the time to ask.

Over the next five days, The Messenger will be soliciting questions from the public for a pair of candidate forums.

The forums are coordinated by the Legislative Committee of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce and will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at Brundidge Station, and from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 18, on the Square in Downtown Troy. Partners in the sponsoring the forums include the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library, The Messenger, WTBF and Troy Cable.

Municipal election candidates in each community are invited to participate in the forums, which will include opening statements; questions solicited from the public; and closing statements.

And the questions will be key to the success of the forums.

The questions can be geared toward a specific candidate or a race: for example, you can ask all the mayoral candidates in Brundidge about a specific issue; or you can ask a candidate for District 1 in Troy about his or her stand on a particular topic. The questions will be gathered in advance – you can email them to stacy.graning@troymessenger.com – or submitted between 6 and 6:30 p.m. at the forums. No live audience questions will be allowed during the forums.

The candidates in these elections will be the leaders who shape the future of Troy and Brundidge for at least four years. As taxpayers and voters, we have the responsibility to cast our ballots wisely and thoughtfully.

So take a moment, submit your questions, and join us for the forums next week.