By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Pelham Library Guild will give Pelham residents a chance to meet the city’s council candidates during an Aug. 13 forum in the courtroom of the Pelham Police Department on Philip Davis Street.

The event will begin with a meet-and-greet session from 5:30-6:30 p.m., during which council candidates will set up booths in the courtroom and speak one-on-one with voters.

After the meet-and-greet session, the forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. During the forum, Library Guild members will ask each candidate three or four questions, and will give the candidates 1 minute to answer each question.

“We are not releasing the questions prior to the forum, and each candidate will be asked the same questions,” said Pelham Library Director Barbara Roberts, noting the forum is scheduled to end at 8 p.m.

Roberts said most of the 14 City Council candidates have agreed to participate in the forum.

Rick Hayes and incumbent Teresa Nichols have qualified to run for Place 1 on the council, Lucas Burger and incumbent Ron Scott have qualified to run for Place 2 and David Ladewig, Mildred Lanier, Jim Martin and Beth McMillan have qualified to run for Place 3.

Maurice Mercer, Jim Phillips, Jeff Smith and Robert Sullivan have qualified to run for Place 4 and incumbents Bill Meadows and Karyl Rice have qualified to run for Place 5.

Pelham’s municipal elections will be held from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28.