DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Residents of this Richmond County town will get a chance to hear candidates’ views next week ahead of this fall’s municipal elections.
The Dobbins Heights Concerned Citizens group is sponsoring a candidates forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the new community center, with those vying for both the mayoral position and seats on the town’s council.
The Rev. Dian Griffin Jackson said she was asked this past Thursday to be the facilitator.
Ozie Felder, president of the group, said the mayoral candidates will begin the event, giving a five-minute introduction of themselves. Then audience members will have two minutes each to ask questions.
The four candidates for the two town council seats will follow, with the same time limits in place. Felder said there will be someone keeping time to make sure no one goes over.
He also said that questions are limited to Dobbins Heights residents.
Felder said the forum’s purpose is to get the voters familiar with the candidates and find out their plans to better the town of Dobbins Heights.
Tommy White, vice president of the group, is in charge of the event and will be assisting Jackson, Felder said.
The mayoral race is a four-way contest, with two-term incumbent Mayor Antonio Blue squaring off against current council member Gracie Jackson, as well as Ernest Lee Primus and James Calvin Whitt.
Jackson’s council seat is up for grabs, along with the one currently occupied by Mary Ann Gibson.
Gibson is seeking to retain her seat, but has competition from Barbara Young, Eddie McRae and Elijah Lockheart.
Dobbins Heights currently has 583 registered voters and the number usually stays just under 600, according to the Richmond County Board of Elections.
During the last mayoral election in 2011, 199 residents cast their ballots. The turnout for the 2013 municipal election was only 76 voters.
Absentee voting by mail begins Sept. 4 for the town’s Oct. 6 election. The deadline for voter registration is Sept. 11 and one-stop early voting runs Sept. 24-Oct. 3.
Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_Toler.