Video: Village Board Candidates Forum

On March 24, the Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the first and only Village Board before the April 5 election. Six of the seven candidates were there, answering questions you had submitted through this website. The forum was moderated by WSPY Radio and broadcast live.

And Patch was there too, video camera in hand.

If you missed the forum, here's your chance to see it all. Below you'll find links to the candidates' opening and closing statements, and all 10 questions. The questions were submitted by Patch readers, and chosen by Chamber members.

Participants were Stan Bond, Matt Brolley, Jeanne Felten, Martin Flowers, Josh Salisbury and Robert Watermann. Pete Heinz was unable to attend.

We want you to make an informed choice in this election. Here's another way we're helping you to do that. We hope you find the forum enlightening, and informative. Early voting is going on now, and runs until March 31. The election is April 5.

A quick note: At one point in the forum, Stan Bond suggests that the village may not have passed an ordinance delineating the duties of the village manager. As Bond later discovered, this is not true, and such an ordinance does exist. It was handed out to trustees at the March 28 board meeting.

Follow the links to see the videos on YouTube:

Opening statements.

Question #1: What direction would you like to see the village take?

Question #2: What do you see as the two biggest accomplishments, and the two areas most in need of improvement in the last five years?

Question #3: What specific ideas do you have for increasing village revenue?

Question #4: How do you think responsibilities for governing the village should be divided between the trustees and the village manager?

Question #5: What roles do the unincorporated areas, such as Boulder Hill, have to play in the future of the village?

Question #6: Do you have any ideas for fixing the local economy? Ways to attract businesses and jobs?

Question #7: What is your position on the village's Mill District Master Plan? (That plan can be found here.)

Question #8: Would you support or oppose village vehicle stickers as a way to raise revenue?

Question #9: What plans do you have to ensure that Lyon Metal, Caterpillar and other major employers continue to operate here?

Question #10: How do you think citizens can be better engaged to participate in Montgomery government?

Closing statements.