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Because a candidate for both District 1 and District 4 declined to attend the Branch Herald Candidate Forum on Thursday, March 27, those forums at 6 p.m. have been canceled. The CFBISD Board of Trustee Forum will go on as planned at 7:30.
To give residents an opportunity to talk to candidates, the time from 6-7:15 p.m. will now be an informal Meet & Greet for all candidates but with an emphasis on the board of trustee candidates since all seven have confirmed they are attending.
Candidate Isabel Romero for District 1 declined, through a representative, to participate in the candidate forum. Romero has not responded to any communications - emails, texts or phone calls - from the Branch Herald.
Deborah Bowe for District 4 contacted the Branch Herald immediately on Monday upon receipt of an email from the Branch Herald with details about the forum but declined saying she had a prior commitment and was unable to attend.
Based on conversations with the president of the League of Women Voters of Richardson, Ellen Steger, and further reading into the League of Women Voters guidelines for candidate forums and debates, Branch Herald Publisher Kate Bergeron decided to cancel the forum involving both city council candidates and offer time for residents to meet the candidates. She invited all four city council candidates as well as the seven school board candidates, but said the time will be focused on the school board candidates. She will introduce the school board candidates at the beginning of the Meet & Greet, followed by any other candidates for any other race followed by dignitaries.
The event will take place on the second floor of the Children's Health StarCenter, located at 12700 N. Stemmons Fwy.
Both events will be livestreamed to Facebook, and the recordings will be saved to the news organization’s YouTube channel so residents who cannot attend can see and hear the proceedings.
The Branch Herald will send a special edition newsletter this weekend with an update on the proceedings of these events with the links to the videos.
