​Candidate Forums

Why would the Chamber of Commerce host candidate forums?

As an organization* whose mission is to advocate for business and economic development, the Chamber has a keen interest in knowing what is happening in government. But it goes deeper. The Chamber is made up of citizens who live and work in the area. This is home; our stakeholders want to know who their elected officials are and where they stand on issues that affect us all.

*The Chamber is not a political action committee and not affiliated with any governmental entity.  The Chamber is an independent organization lead by the private sector.  We sponsor candidate forums because we believe people have a right to know what their candidates for public office say about issues that affect our communities. We provide the forums as a public service, and we are privileged and proud to play a role in the democratic process. Our candidate forums allows those seeking public office to express their views openly so community members can understand their positions and make informed voting choices.

We provide the forums as a public service, and we are privileged and proud to play a role in the democratic process.

CANDIDATE FORUMS:

Information for Candidates CANDIDATE FORUMS: 


Candidates:  Click here for information and instructions on Chamber webinars 


Format: Moderator 

  • An unbiased event moderator may pose questions to the candidates through written questions submitted by the Chamber and if time permitting questions submitted by the public . 
  • The event moderator will maintain order and decorum for the event.
  • Each candidate will have an equal and fair opportunity to express his or her position on issues.
  • A timer will be used to indicate end of time allotments. 
  • ​Candidate forums are typically broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube.


General Forum Rules:

  • Order of appearance within each group of candidates will be chosen at random or alphabetical order and will be reversed for closing comments.
  • Opening statements will allow candidates to introduce themselves and make a closing statement. 
  • Topics will be a wide range of issues of general interest to the public and the business community. 


A candidate forum can take place in many formats. Our local candidate forums typically follow the following format:

  • Candidates make opening remarks.
  • Candidates are asked prepared questions on themes important to Chamber and our community.
  • At the end, candidates provide closing statements, with an equal amount of time given to each candidate.
  • For candidate tips and preparing for live Facebook broadcasts  Click Here 


Other Forum Details:

  • Answers to questions on issues will typically be limited to 1-2 minutes.
  • No substitutes or stand-ins for candidates are allowed, and no pre-recorded statements will be accepted.
  • Broadcasting: The Chamber uses Facebook/YouTube to broadcast our forums. All broadcast are recorded live, in their entirety, and are not edited. Theses videos will be shared on the Chamber social media, the media and Chamber communications. 
  • Empty Chairs: It sometimes happens that only one candidate in a contested election accepts a debate invitation or that a candidate cancels a debate appearance after agreeing to participate, leaving the debate with only one participant — often called an "empty chair". A Chamber forums may proceed with at least least one candidate. 
  • Lobbying: The Chamber is a 501(c)(6) business league and not subject to the same lobbying restrictions as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. While the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce is permitted to engage in unlimited amounts of lobbying. 


General Questions

  • What neighborhood do you live in? Why? Where are your favorite places to spend time in our town?
  • Candidates' past and current community involvement?
  • Your principles/core values as it pertains to public policy?
  • Thoughts on the role of government as it relates to regulating business and protecting the free enterprise system?
  • How will you partner with the various stakeholders in the community?
  • Top two or three priorities if elected?
  • What specific policies or initiatives differentiate you from your opponents? (Highlight your unique proposals and build your case for support to make yourself stand out)
  • ​How will you support of the business community and/or economic development?
  • Thought or plans on building a skilled workforce. 
  • Regionalism and working with other partners (municipalities, your local Chamber, etc.)
  • Vision for the office
  • How do you feel about the transportation options currently available in our community? Can all of our residents affordably get where they need to go? If not, what will you do to improve transportation?
  • Why do you think people are homeless, and what are your top 3 policy proposals aimed at ending and preventing homelessness?
  • How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
  • If someone came to you with a proposal to build a new piece of public infrastructure in our city (road, bridge, etc.), how would you evaluate whether or not that project was worth implementing?
  • If you received a $5 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?
  • If you are not elected, what would you do to try to help work on ideas or issues that are important to you?
  • Other questions submitted to Chamber by members and/or the public. 

 

Chamber Related Questions:

  1. What is your understanding of the role of a local chamber of commerce?
  2. How have you personally benefited from or engaged with the local chamber of commerce in your previous or current roles?
  3. What strategies would you use to encourage more businesses to join the local chamber?
  4. How would you advocate for business-friendly policies through the Chamber?
  5. What items on the Chamber's legislative agenda are most important to you and why? 

 
  Lighting Round Interaction:

  1.   During the Lightning Round Interaction, each candidate may direct one question to one other candidate.
  2.  The candidate addressing the question will have one to two minutes to respond.
  3.  After the candidate responds, the asker will have one minute to provide a follow-up comment. 
  4.  The questions should be nonpartisan and relevant to the debate topic.
  5.  The moderator should ensure that the length of the candidate’s response is limited.
  6.  Only the moderate may ask addtional follow-up questions.

​
Proper Decorum: 

  • The forum is not a debate. Minimal interaction or debate among candidates will be allowed.
  • Only the moderator may be allowed to interact with candidates with the exception of Lighting Round Interaction. 
  • All regular interactions by a candidate will be through the event moderator.
  • There will be no “winner” declared by the moderator or event sponsors.
  •  “Grandstanding,” speaking off topic, or off-color remarks will be called out of order by the moderator.
  • Attendees shall respect the rights of others and shall speak in a civil and courteous manner.
  • Any violation of this code of conduct or forum rules will be cause for removal from the live broadcast.


 ​​The candidate forum is meant to inform the citizens of our community and create an opportunity for community building. If all candidates adhere to the rules everyone will benefit through increased visibility and general interest in the community.

​The Role of Local Elected Officials in Economic Development

Candidate Endorsements (State and federal only)

(Look for the Seal of Approval)


The Chamber's endorsements go to candidates who have a proven track-record on issues that are important to businesses, their employees and the community at-large. The candidates we endorse understand the importance of advancing policies, ordinances, and legislation that encourages economic growth, job creation and a less intrusive government.

What happens if there are too many candidates


Candidate Selection 
​A candidate event or forum is a great way to engage our community around an upcoming election. Occasionally the field of candidates is too large, and it becomes difficult for the public to understand the issues and candidates in the time allowed. In such cases, the Chamber has a robust methodology for determining who will be allowed to participate in our Forums. 



The Chamber of Commerce will exercise its “good faith judgment” in applying factors to determine “significance.” The criteria for eligibility use viewpoint-neutral criteria to select candidate participation. The burden rests with the candidate to show compliance with these criteria.

Tips for Connecting to Zoom with Slower Internet Connections


​Joining a video conferencing session with a slower Internet connection can be a challenge. Below are tips for successful Zoom meetings and webinars.

Wired Connection. If your Internet router has an option for a wired connection, join with a wired option versus a wireless connection.

Proximity to Router/Hot Spot. Bring your laptop or device closer to your router or hot spot connection.

Check Bandwidth. You can check your bandwidth using a speed test such as https://www.speedtest.net/ For the list of required bandwidth for Zoom meetings and Webinars visit: Zoom System Requirements.

Stop Camera Feed: A camera feed from a webcam (showing the video of you speaking) takes more bandwidth and may affect the quality of your Zoom session if you have a slower connection. If your Internet is unstable stop your video feed. Another option is to show your video during introductions or if you have a question, but stop your video feed during other parts of the meeting.

Disable HD Video in Zoom: You can disable the HD video option by selecting video settings in a meeting - select the up arrow to the right of the video icon and check or uncheck the HD video option.

Mute Microphone When Not Talking: When you aren't talking mute your audio (click on the microphone icon to mute or unmute).

Close other Applications:Zoom uses memory and processing from your computer and is not prioritized over other applications - closing applications you do not need will improve your Zoom experience Try to pause downloading updates, if you can.

Avoid Crowding Your Router: If there are multiple devices (from other individuals) joined to your router or hotspot try to avoid video streaming which will affect bandwidth (e.g. Netflix, YouTube TV, etc.)

Switch to Phone Audio: If you have an unstable connection, you can join the meeting by phone. For immediate instructions, click on the up arrow to the right of the microphone icon or find the phone number sent to you in the email containing the Zoom link.