Copyright M Live Michigan
MUSKEGON, MI - The Muskegon Young Black Professionals this week will host two forums ahead of the Nov. 4 election - one for Muskegon Heights council candidates and another for city of Muskegon mayoral and commission candidates. The forums are hosted in partnership with WUVS 103.7 The Beat radio station, which is live broadcasting both events. The Muskegon Heights candidate forum is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 at Corinthians Missionary Baptist Church, 2027 Peck Street. This year, there are five candidates running for three Muskegon Heights City Council seats. Incumbent Councilmen Ronald Jenkins and Andre Williams Jr. are running for reelection. The three other candidates this November are William Kitchen, Chelsea McKinley and Anderson Robinson. Council member Kim Sims is not running for reelection, due to term limits approved by residents last November. Council members are now limited to a total of 16 years they can serve on both city council and as mayor, combined. The Wednesday night forum will be hosted as a traditional candidate forum, with a moderator leading a question-and-answer discussion. There will be an opportunity for community members to ask questions. “We would want for as many community members to come out as possible,” said Jocelyn Hines, Muskegon Young Black Professionals (MYBP) founder and board chair. “I think local elections are more important than ever (and) creating those opportunities for people to engage with our local candidates and ask the questions we’ve all been wondering about in our livelihood each day.” Topics covered may include housing, public safety, the city’s fiscal responsibility, roads, how to attract new talent to the city, supporting the city’s youth and the overall “state of Muskegon Heights,” Hines said. On Thusday, the city of Muskegon will be the focus, with residents voting for mayor and commission candidates next month. The Oct. 23 forum is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. at The Block, 360 W. Western Avenue on the second floor. The mayoral segment, featuring Mayor Ken Johnson and opponent Bob Garrettson, will take up the first hour. The second hour will feature the candidates for commissioner Kiley Jackson, Teresa Emory, John C. Allen and incumbent Rebecca St. Clair. Topics expected to be covered include waterfront investment, neighborhood safety, economic development and business retention and expansion. Hines said all candidates have been invited. Local attorney Brandon Davis will moderate one, if not both, of the forums. The events will also be livestreamed on the Facebook pages for 103.7 FM and 106.1 FM. MYBP was founded in April 2017. It previously hosted, along with the radio station, a City of Muskegon candidate forum ahead of the August primary election. “We think the topic of civic engagement and civic leadership is very important,” Hines said, adding that people who participate with MYBP live in the city and often work for local civic organizations. Hines, a Muskegon Heights native, works as a development analyst for the city of Muskegon. “We to want to make sure that younger age voices are heard among our elected officials,” she said. Polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. “Doing these forums is good for the community, especially going through a community radio station, letting politics and candidates get their business heard,” said Mehean “DJQ89″ Quinn, deejay and program director for 103.7 The Beat.
