By Adam Dodson
The Selma Times-Journal

With elections right around the corner for a myriad of positions, candidates to become the next Dallas County Probate Judge are taking advantage of another chance to reach out to the public with the upcoming candidates forum breakfast.

Sponsored by Leadership Selma-Dallas County, the event will operate differently than in the previous forums that have come before them.

According to Leadership member Callie Nelson, the combination of a breakfast and a forum kills three birds with one stone: it allows the community to come together, provides a chance for the candidates to voice their platforms and also serves as a signature event for the Leadership.

“We wanted people to get a chance to hear the candidates speak,” Nelson said.

Running for Dallas County Probate Judge are six candidates: Robert Green, Henry Moore, Franklin Fortier, Clifford Hunter, Jimmy Nunn and Nick Switzer. The primary election is scheduled for June 5.

With the deadline approaching, Nelson felt it was important for the voters to get an appropriate and unbiased gauge into the stances of each candidate.

In order to accomplish this, the Leadership is teaming up with Auburn University’s Governmental Services and Economic Development Department to receive a moderator who has no ties to elections going on in Selma. According to Nelson, AU’s Morgan St. Jones will serve as the moderator over the forum.

“It was important to all of us to find somebody who was truly neutral with no stake in what’s happening,” Nelson said.

The forum breakfast will be taking place at 7:30 a.m. the morning of Wednesday, May 30 in the Carl C. Morgan Center.

All interested in tickets or more information can reach out to (334) 875-3200. Tickets are $12 per person and the deadline for purchasing is May 23.

The event is not a debate, and should not be treated as such. All participants are expected to behave accordingly and respectfully.