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.
CANDIDATE FORUMS:
Information for Candidates CANDIDATE FORUMS:
Candidates: Click here for information and instructions on Chamber webinars
Format: Moderator
General Forum Rules:
A candidate forum can take place in many formats. Our local candidate forums typically follow the following format:
Other Forum Details:
General Questions
Chamber Related Questions:
Lighting Round Interaction:
Proper Decorum:
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 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.
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.
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.
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