Several forums are planned this fall to inform voters about the local and state candidates and ballot issues before them this election.
The League of Women Voters of La Plata County has organized a series of forums in September and October in Bayfield, Durango and Ignacio for the four county commissioner candidates as well as the two Colorado House District 59 candidates.
The commissioner candidates include incumbents Gwen Lachelt (District 2) and Julie Westendorff (District 3), Democrats, and their respective challengers, Lyle McKnight and Kayla Story Patterson, Republicans.
District 69 State House Rep. J. Paul Brown, a Republican, is running against Democrat Barbara McLachlan.
On Monday, the first League forum will be at the Ignacio Community Library, 470 Goddard Ave. The second event will be Oct. 3 at Durango City Hall, 949 East Second Ave., and a third will be Oct. 5 at Bayfield Town Hall, 1199 Bayfield Parkway.
A fourth is set for Oct. 6, again at Durango City Hall, will focus on local ballot issues, which include property tax increase requests for improvements to Durango-La Plata County Airport and county road and bridge funding.
Each of the League of Women Voters forums will begin at 6 p.m.
Guinn Unger, a ColoradoCare proponent and former NASA employee and small-business owner, will hold a forum to focus on ColoradoCare (Amendment 69) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave. Time is set aside to take questions from the public.
Also on Thursday, the La Plata-Archuleta Cattlemen’s Association will host a candidate forum for the four county commissioner candidates at 6 p.m. at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
The Durango Herald will host a forum Sept. 27 focused on the state ballot issues, including Amendment 69 and Initiative 45, the End of Life Options Act. It will be at 6 p.m. at the Durango Public Library.
Ballots will go out Oct. 17. Election Day is Nov. 8.
For sample ballots and voting information, visit www.laplatacountyclerk.org.
