Hotel-motel association to hold candidate forum tomorrow

Two Springfield mayoral and three City Council candidates will participate in a forum Wednesday at the Springfield Hotel-Motel Association's monthly membership luncheon.

The meeting, which begins at 11:45 a.m. at Incredible Pizza Co., 2850 S. Campbell Ave., is open to the public at a cost of $12 per person, according to a news release from the association. Admission includes lunch, said association President Darren Harralson.

Mayoral candidates Jim O'Neal, president of O&S Trucking Inc., and Christopher Donegan, finance manager at Zerr Auto Sales, are scheduled to attend the forum. Council candidates at the forum will include industrial products salesman Nicholas Ibarra and Councilman Denny Whayne, the Zone 1 incumbent, as well as Scott Bailes, a Springfield Cardinals broadcast announcer and former Major League Baseball player who is running for the Zone 4 seat.

Harralson said each candidate has received industry-specific questions, covering topics such as the 5-percent hotel lodging tax and attracting sporting events, in advance of the forum. Candidates will respond to questions from the audience during the second half of the lunch hour, he said.

Remaining City Council candidates have been invited to a forum at the association's March 18 luncheon, according to the release. The venue for that forum will likely be announced at tomorrow's meeting, Harralson said.

Attendees should RSVP at the link below.[[In-content Ad]]