VIDEO: County Board Hopefuls Discuss Issues

(FROM LEFT, GERALD KINKELAAR, ERIC PETTY, NORBERT SOLTWEDEL, JOHN PERRY, MODERATOR ERIC ZELLER, ELIZABETH HUSTON, BRUCE KESSLER, JEREMY DETERS AND JOSEPH THOELE)

Candidates for Effingham County Board in Districts A, E, F and I in the March 17 primary election gathered Thursday night for a forum sponsored by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce and Effingham County Farm Bureau.

Those on hand included the three candidates for the Republican nomination in District A Gerald Kinkelaar, Eric Petty and Norbert Soltwedel; the Republican seeking re-election in District E John Perry; the candidates for the Republican nomination in District F Elizabeth Huston and Bruce Kessler; and the candidates for the Republican nomination in District I, incumbent Joseph Thoele and challenger Jeremy Deters.

District H incumbent Rob Arnold is unopposed for another term and did not participate; the other Republican candidate in District E, Mike DePoister, is traveling and was unavailable to attend.

Eric Zeller of Effingham Opthalmology Associates served as moderator.

Questions dealt with the responsibilities of a county board member; what would you like to see changed in the County's operation; priorities for County spending; and whether to re-open the County ambulance contract to other vendors as it expires in 2022.

We aired the forum live Thursday night on KJ Country 102.3 and www.kjcountry.com. We also videotaped the forum and that should be online later Friday.