If there's an election in Brentwood, Bill Akin will be an active participant. In July, he was encouraging early voting in the August gubernatorial and congressional election.

Forum first chance to see, hear six contenders
By SUSAN LEATHERS
Brentwood Home Page
The first of four announced opportunities to meet and hear from the two incumbents and four others seeking election to the Brentwood City Commission comes Tuesday night at 6 p.m.

Bill Akin, one of – if not the -- most active “commission watchers” in the city, is hosting a Concerned Citizens for Brentwood forum which will take place at the Brentwood Library.

Four commissioners will be elected on Election Day, May 3. With the retirements of Joe Reagan and Joe Sweeney, at least two newcomers to the board will be selected from the six-candidate pool, which includes two incumbents. To vote, city residents must register no later than Monday, April 4. Early voting for the non-partisan race is scheduled for April 13-28, excluding April 22 (Good Friday).

All six candidates – Bert Bosse, Jill Burgin, Betsy Crossley, Anne Dunn, Rod Freeman and Brenda Lehman -- are expected to participate in the question-and-answer event moderated by Carole Crigger, a city planning commissioner and member of the city’s Historic Commission.

Questions will be asked by a panel of journalists that cover the city – myself, Donna O’Neill of the Williamson Herald, and Bonnie Burch of The Tennessean’s Williamson A.M. section.

This is the “fourth or fifth” forum Akin has hosted. The first one came in 2004 when two referendums – one for Open Space Preservation and the other to extend Mallory Lane to Concord Road – were put to voters. Since then he’s hosted forums for three City Commission races, the 2008 Williamson County Sheriff’s race and the May 2010 congressional and county races.

“The whole purpose is to get the public to meet the candidates,” Akin said recently. The low-key event “also gives the candidates a chance to get the butterflies out” before a televised forum the following week, hosted by the Brentwood Woman’s Club.

With six candidates, two open seats and, for the first time, a panel of reporters asking the questions, Akin’s forum may be a little tougher than his ones have been in the past, however.

Akin said he will personally use the forum to help him decide who to support and vote for in the May election.

While Akin wants to help residents become more informed about the candidates, he also hopes his forum and others planned will increase voter participation and turnout. Only 3,829 of 26,014 registered voters cast ballots in the last municipal election, held in May 2009.

“All politics are local, and city and county politics are as local as they come,” said Akin, who noted “I’ve never missed an election since 1971.” Voter apathy – and the 10 percent turnout two years ago – leave him discouraged but more determined than ever to make people understand how important local elections are, he said.

“People don’t seem to understand that the city and county can get into your pocketbooks faster than the federal and state government,” he said.

Woman’s Club hosts second forum
The GFWC Brentwood Woman’s Club will host its Candidate Forum at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 29, in the second floor board room in the Brentwood Municipal Center, 5211 Maryland Way.

In addition to the free forum, where candidates will again answer questions asked by local journalists, there will be a time to meet the candidates over refreshments.

BHP hosts meet-and-greet
Brentwood Home Page will host its first “BHP Night at the Brentwood Library” on Tuesday, April 19, with a 7 p.m. reception where residents can meet the candidates one on one in an informal setting. Each candidate will have their own designated area so visitors can move from table to table to get information and ask their own questions.

BHP plans to host free public programs every third Tuesday of the month.

Business/growth issues will be focus
The candidates will field questions from members of the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s April membership meeting. The luncheon meeting opens at 11:30 a.m. April 21 in Haney Hall at Brentwood United Methodist Church.

The meeting is $20 for chamber members; $30 for guests. For more information or to register, contact the chamber at www.brentwood.org; 373-1595, or email connie@brentwoodcoolsprings.org.