The Manassas Journal will hold a candidate forum Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Salisbury Center, giving residents an opportunity to hear directly from candidates seeking Manassas City Council, Manassas City School Board and Virginia House of Delegates District 20.
The forum is open to the public.
City Council candidates are scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m., followed by School Board candidates from 6 to 7 p.m. and House of Delegates candidates from 7 to 7:30 p.m.
The Journal is also inviting residents to submit questions for the candidates before the forum.
How the Forum Will Work
The forum will use a structured voter-information format designed to give candidates seeking the same office an equal opportunity to explain their priorities and positions.
Each candidate will receive a one-minute opening statement, the same substantive questions as the other candidates seeking that office, two minutes to answer each question and a one-minute closing statement.
Response order will rotate so the same candidate does not consistently answer first or last.
There will be no candidate-to-candidate questions, general rebuttal period or routine follow-up questions. Candidates will be asked to focus on their own priorities, positions and plans.
The moderator will present the questions and enforce the same time limits for each candidate. If a response does not address the question asked, the moderator may restate the question.
Residents Can Submit Questions
Residents are invited to submit questions about issues they would like candidates to address.
Questions should concern matters relevant to the responsibilities of the office being sought.
For City Council, topics may include housing and development; taxes, utilities and spending; public safety; school funding; data centers and technology; economic development and Historic Downtown Manassas; infrastructure; and future City priorities.
School Board topics may include student achievement; school funding and spending; governance and accountability; the relationship among the Board, superintendent and administration; English learners; school safety; and long-term student outcomes.
House of Delegates topics may include education; housing, transportation and infrastructure; public safety and criminal justice; data centers and technology growth; immigration and public benefits; and other state policies affecting the Manassas area.
How Questions Will Be Selected
Resident questions will be reviewed under the same basic standards the Manassas Journal applies to its reporting.
Questions should be factual, relevant to the office, timely, necessary, useful, informative, clear and neutral.
Questions containing advocacy, unsupported allegations, personal attacks, speculation or inflammatory language will not be used. Questions also must concern matters reasonably connected to the authority or responsibilities of the office the candidate is seeking.
Candidates will be told the general topics in advance. Individual questions will not be provided in advance.
Equal Treatment
All candidates seeking the same office are being given the opportunity to participate.
Candidates in the same race will receive the same questions and the same amount of response time. The final participant list will be announced before the forum.
The complete forum is planned to be recorded and published afterward for residents who cannot attend.
Residents may submit questions to news@manassasjournal.com by 5 p.m. Oct. 3.
