There will be many opportunities for Toledo voters to hear from the slate of mayoral candidates, but most will be restricted by campaign and media parameters. The Ottawa Tavern, 1817 Adams St., is bringing back its weekly Political Parties series, an informal meet and greet featuring a different declared Toledo mayoral candidate each week.
The sessions will take place from 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays, followed by food and entertainment.
Each candidate has been invited to speak, discuss his or her positions and entertain questions during the two-hour period.
Scheduled guests include Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez (who was scheduled to appear July 9 but rescheduled for Aug. 27 — a last-minute cancellation that doesn’t reflect well on her), Councilman D. Michael Collins (July 16), Alan Cox (July 23), Mayor Mike Bell (July 30), Opal Covey (Aug. 6) and Councilman Joe McNamara (Aug. 13).
Attendees can meet the candidates, discuss the issues and learn more about their positions in an informal setting, according to a news release.
“This is the second time we have done this so we are really excited to be presenting this forum for political discussion again,” said Ottawa Tavern owner Tom Baird. “We want to give the candidates some time to informally meet the voters and hear what is on their minds. This promises to be especially important to the City of Toledo as it maps its future direction for the next four to eight years.”
Baird said the Ottawa Tavern ran a similar series before the 2009 mayoral race and it was well-attended and well-received enough to warrant organizing the event again.
Toledo Free Press and 1370 WSPD are media sponsors for the event. For more information, visit www.otavern.com.
Don’t count on sound bites and headlines; hear from the candidates for yourself before you make up your mind.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@tfpfeb.toledowebdesigns.com.
