ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce and Pierce County Journal have teamed up to provide Village of Ellsworth voters with a virtual candidate forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 29 as a public service.

The event will stream live across the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce and Pierce County Journal’s Facebook pages.

The spring general election will be held on Wednesday, April 4, and on the ballot in the Village of Ellsworth are three trustee positions and the Village Board President seat. Incumbent trustees Lance Austin and Andrew Borner are on the ballot with challengers Ryan Bench and Thomas Schutz. Incumbent Village President Becky Beissel is running unopposed for her second term.

The goal of the forum is to introduce the candidates to the community. It will offer each candidate the opportunity to share their viewpoints and opinions on various community issues.

“Local government is where decisions are made that affect voters in their everyday lives,” said Journal Editor Sarah Nigbor. “It’s our hope that this forum will encourage more people to participate in local government, as informed constituents and voters, and perhaps inspire people to run for office themselves one day.”

John McLoone, publisher of the Pierce County Journal, will serve as the event moderator. Through a series of questions, candidates will share their positions on various community challenges, as well as their vision and goals for Ellsworth.

In addition to learning the candidate's viewpoints, the goal of this event is to provide an opportunity for public access to elected officials and awareness about issues and challenges Ellsworth is facing.

“As the chamber engages with the public and business leaders in our community, we find there’s a feeling of momentum in the area and everyone wants the same for Ellsworth,” said Paul Bauer, Ellsworth Chamber Board President. “We look forward to offering this opportunity for the candidates to share their views, and a chance for residents to get to know them so they can vote for the people most aligned with their desires for our community in the future.” 

Village of Ellsworth residents, business owners, and everyone vested in our community is invited and encouraged to attend. More details can be found at www.ellsworthchamber.com.