John Temple Ligon, business editor and Columbia City Council reporter for The Columbia Star, will moderate a Mayoral Candidate Forum Tuesday, March 23 T Wesley Memorial United Metho-dist Church at 2501 Heyward Street, 7 pm–8:30 pm. The forum is being sponsored by Southside Neighborhoods: Hollywood–Rose Hill, Shandon, University Hill, Wales Garden, and Wheeler Hill.

The candidates for mayor of Columbia who will be participating are Joseph Azar, Steve Benjamin, Sparkle Clark, Kirkman Finlay, Aaron Johnson, Steve Morrison, Nammu Muhammad.

After a brief introductory statement from each candidate, the forum will be divided into four major subject areas with questions from the moderator on each:
1. Budget and fiscal responsibility
2. Public safety
3. Homelessness
4. Full time vs part time mayor

Each participant will be allowed a specified time (up to two minutes) to answer each of the moderator’s questions. The time limit will be strictly enforced by a time keeper.

The mayoral election is Tuesday, April 6, 2010.