Niles city residents will have no excuse to not be familiar with the candidates for mayor when they hit the polls Aug. 2 for the primary election. All four in the mayoral race will participate in a candidate forum 7 p.m. Monday at the Niles District Library, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Leader Publications and the Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce.
The candidates are former city fire marshal Bruce Leach, incumbent Mike McCauslin, 4th Ward city council member W. Tim Skalla and substitute teacher Michael Squier II.
The top two vote getters will advance to the general election in November.
The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties spearheaded the effort to bring the forum to Niles.
“We have some members who live in Niles and are eager to have us do a forum there,” said co-president Elizabeth Ennis. “Our central purpose is to help voters become informed.”
The two-hour forum will be moderated by Katie Rohman, managing editor of the Niles Daily Star, and will feature questions formulated by the League of Women’s Voters and from the audience.
The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties, a nonpartisan political organization, was formed 54 years ago in Niles. The group organizes political forums throughout the two counties to inform voters before elections.