Concerned voters should bring their tough questions to a meet-and-greet event even though candidates for the School District 43 board of education won’t be debating the issues in a typical public forum.
That’s the advice of Charlie Loo, vice-president of the SD43 District Parent Advisory Council, which is organizing the upcoming all-candidates meeting for trustee candidates.
Loo says the low-key open house is more effective for getting questions answered and learning about candidates than a traditional all-candidates meeting where questions are read by a moderator and candidates take turns answering.
“We’re hoping this is a chance for people to come and be able to meet the candidates and have conversations, similar that you might have on the doorstep,” Loo told The Tri-City News.
The meeting is next Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the gym at Winslow Centre, 1100 Winslow Ave., Coquitlam, and is a drop-in event.
DPAC decided to hold the event because no other all-candidates meeting were planned and chose the meet-and-greet format over a debate, which was deemed “too clunky” because of the sheer number of candidates — 19 this election — and the fact that they represent three cities and two villages.
“I’m fairly confident, if we can get the people out there, it can be something that will be beneficial to the voters. It will also be beneficial for the candidates,” said Loo, who was a candidate in the school board election four years ago.
He said he expects voters to come to the event with a variety of issues on their mind, naming financial stability and the need for more resources, such as education assistants, to support students with special needs, as among the top issues.
The format is a bit of a change from previous elections, when trustee candidates had to give a brief speech about their candidacy before debating issues on a stage in front of an audience.
And while school board elections don’t typically generate as much interest as do elections for mayor and council, SD43 has a $373-million budget and has been on a major building spree — and at $42,535, trustees earn more than some city councillors.
“If you have a question for the candidates that is important to you, this is a chance to ask them,” Loo said.
