The Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce helps promote democracy for our region through our Meet The Candidates nights. The Chamber hosts a special candidate night for each contested race for our Boonville City Council seats or for our county positions within Cooper County. If we can schedule participation from state candidates running for state positions, we will invite and include them.

Meet The Candidates provides a public forum where our local media and the public can ask questions through a moderator to the participating candidates in contested races. Public questions can be submitted prior to that evening’s forum, but can also be submitted at the event. Those in uncontested races are allowed an opening statement if they choose.

Letters are sent inviting local candidates to our forum. We outline the time frames allowed, agenda for the evening, and a reservation deadline.

The Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors “Meet The Candidates Night” annually. Dates are announced through the Chamber office and contact is made with candidates. Candidates will have a deadline to RSVP their participation in our event.

The evening will begin with introductions of the uncontested candidates. They will be allowed to speak for two minutes each. The candidates in contested races will then be questioned.

The following are the rules for this event for contested races:

1. Length of opening speech will be three minutes. All time limits will be strictly enforced.

2. Each candidate will be given a visual thirty second warning.

3. Media questions will be based on, but not restricted to, a prepared list. Most of the questions will be posed by representatives of the local media. Our local media include the Boonville Daily News and KWRT.

4. Audience questions will be written on a provided form, which must be signed, and handed to a task force member. These questions will be presented by the moderator or a media representative.

5. Each question will be directed to a specific candidate who will have one minute to answer. The opponents will also be given one minute to answer. No other candidate will be allowed to answer. We will alternate as to which candidate answers the question first, unless the question has factual information specific to the candidate.

6. All candidates in a contested race get one minute for closing statement.

The task force strives to provide a fair and equal format for all candidates. Please cooperate with their efforts. If you have suggestions for improvement, please contact the office or a task force member after the event. Good luck to all of you.

We encourage those who cannot attend our candidate forum in person to submit a question, or questions, that they may have. (We ask for a signature on the questions, but we do not announce the name given on the form when questions are read.) You can mail, fax, or email questions to the Chamber office.

Candidate Questions