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Neighborhood council outlines 2026 candidate‑forum plan and suggests November debates
Summary
ENCO vice chair Ronald Reejo reviewed past forum formats, recommended countywide nonpartisan forums for the June ballot cycle and proposed retaining YouTube recordings; members discussed logistics, neighborhood‑level events and the possibility of a debate in November.
Ronald Reejo, vice chair of the East Village neighborhood, presented ENCO’s recent experience organizing candidate forums and proposed a plan for the 2026 cycle during the March 4 meeting. Reejo described three rounds of communications for candidates (invitation, detailed instructions, last‑minute logistics), moderation rules intended to be neutral, and options to host multiple forums across separate evenings depending on which countywide offices appear on the June ballot.
Reejo recommended limiting ENCO’s countywide forums to nonpartisan offices (the presenter proposed the five countywide nonpartisan positions) and suggested that neighborhood councils may host separate candidate appearances locally. He emphasized even question distribution among candidates and noted that most past forums have been recorded and posted to YouTube for later viewing.
Members discussed breaking the candidate schedule across two or three nights, prioritizing competitive races for longer sessions, and the value of at least one true debate (rather than only Q&A) for the November election. No formal vote was taken; the executive board will convene a special meeting to finalize dates and operational details, and membership feedback will be used to inform the organizing committee.
What comes next: The executive board will meet to set forum dates and formats; Ronald will coordinate with neighborhood chairs for outreach and will distribute the forum script and logistics to chairs via email.
