Friends of Rapid City Parks will host two candidate forums this year in order to provide ample time for both city council and mayoral candidates to present their views and answer questions.
The 2011 city council candidate forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 31 at the Dahl Arts Center. A second event to showcase candidates for Mayor will take place Thursday, June 2 at 6:45, also at the Dahl. A reception prior to the mayor candidate forum will begin at 6:00. The public is invited and the events are free of charge.
The annual public forums provide park advocates an opportunity to ask candidates about their views on parks, environment, and preservation of the green ribbon along Rapid Creek. Read about the candidates in the Rapid City Journal.
This year 11 candidates are competing for 2-year terms representing Rapid City’s five wards. In the six years since FRCP has sponsored the forum, green issues such as water quality, open space, bike paths, parks, and development in the floodway have taken on increasing importance among city voters.
Parks issues that are sure to be raised include continued attempts to develop in the floodway, acquisition of new park land, maintenance and support of existing parks, and contribution of parks and open space to Rapid City’s quality of life.