From Grand Rapids, Walker and Wyoming City commission to candidates running for seats in the Michigan House and Senate, more than 20 of them will be in one place; the Together West Michigan Candidate Accountability Forum.
“Candidate so-and-so, will you work with Together West Michigan on this issue? And they say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Jan Koopman is a Together West Michigan volunteer.
“So, there’s a ‘yes’, ‘no’ and then a very limited time to explain why you said ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Together West Michigan is a nonpartisan coalition of 26 organizations who reach into area neighborhoods hosting 1,200 house meetings. This is where it learns which issues are most important and they become questions for candidates to answer.
“And the candidates receive those questions a week ahead of time…so, it’s a civil way for candidates to learn about what issues are important to people, and people to listen to candidates who had time to consider the question.”
Koopman points out it’s not a debate, rather it’s an opportunity to hear directly from candidates while also empowering the community crafting public policy.