Forum Held Featuring County Board Contests

(THE CANDIDATES FOR EFFINGHAM COUNTY BOARD WHO PARTICIPATED IN FRIDAY'S FORUM, LEFT TO RIGHT: DISTRICT D CANDIDATES REPUBLICAN DAVID CAMPBELL AND DEMOCRAT MIKE SEHY; DISTRICT C CANDIDATES REPUBLICAN HEATHER MUMMA AND DEMOCRAT KAREN LUCHTEFELD; AND DISTRICT B CANDIDATES DEMOCRAT SARAH RUHOLL-SEHY AND REPUBLICAN JIM NIEMANN)

A forum focusing on the three contested Effingham County Board races took place at the Chamber First Friday Luncheon.

Participants were Board Chairman Jim Niemann, a Republican, and Democrat challenger Sarah Ruholl-Sehy from District B, incumbent board member Karen Luchtefeld, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Heather Mumma from District C, and Board Vice-Chairman Dave Campbell, a Republican, and Democrat challenger Mike Sehy from District D.

The candidates answered questions prepared by a committee made up of local media, Chamber President Norma Lansing, and County Farm Bureau Manager Julie Stephens. The forum was sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce and Effingham County Farm Bureau.

The questions dealt with the duties of county board members, but also addressing how to get more housing in the Effingham community, and the resolutions adopted by the Board regarding bearing arms and concerning right-to-life issues. There was a decided divergence of opinion among the candidates regarding whether the resolutions were a good thing.

The forum will air at 9am Saturday on 979XFM.