Jeremy Dotson
By Bob Vlach
Woodford Sun Staff
Woodford County Farm Bureau backed out of sponsoring a fifth Woodford County Candidate Forum after co-sponsoring the first four forums. Farm Bureau President Jeremy Dotson, who made that announcement during last Thursday’s fourth forum, talked to the Sun about their decision on Tuesday.
Dotson said Woodford County Farm Bureau backed out of sponsoring a fifth forum after a majority of the candidates running for the Woodford County Conservation District (WCCD) Board of Supervisors said they were not going to participate in the forum scheduled on Wednesday, Oct. 7. He said that was going to create an uneven playing field, and Farm Bureau was not going to be involved in a forum where politics created an unfair situation for candidates running for the WCCD Board of Supervisors.
Those choosing not to participate did not want to be involved in the forum because of what transpired in Woodford County Fiscal Court meetings on issues related to the WCCD and its operating budget, Dotson said.
Woodford County Board of Education and Kentucky’s 56th House District candidates were also invited to participate in the forum on Oct. 7, but Dotson said State Rep. Dan Fister wasn’t going to participate.
Dotson said the first four forums, co-sponsored by Woodford County Farm Bureau, The Woodford Sun, Woodford County Democratic Party, Woodford County Republican Party and former Midway Mayor Tom Bozarth, “went great.” He said his only issue with those forums was not providing enough time for city council and mayoral candidates – because there were so many candidates – to discuss the issues.
“You can’t really get know your candidates that way,” Dotson said.