LA GRANDE — With the Nov. 8 general election less than a month away, there are still opportunities for voters to learn about the local candidates on the ballot.

The La Grande Fire Department’s Firefighters Local 924 Union and the La Grande Police Association will host a candidate forum Tuesday, Oct. 18, for those running for La Grande City Council to speak about public safety. Candidates for mayor and city council races will be given 10 minutes each to speak about any topic related to public safety. At the end of the forum there will be a question and answer session with the audience.

“We’ve been discussing the unique challenges that both the police department and fire department here in La Grande have faced over the last couple years with COVID and all the turmoil that’s gone on throughout the country and with changes in laws in the state of Oregon,” Dustin Alam, the LGFD Firefighters Local 924 Union president, said. “We want to see what the candidates’ takes on our public safety issues is.”

Mathew Miles and current City Councilor Justin Rock are vying for the mayor position, vacated when current Mayor Steve Clements announced he would not be seeking reelection. The council’s sixth position has two contenders — David Moyal and Denise Wheeler. Cody Vela and former City Councilor Corrine Dutto are running for the seventh position, the spot now held by Rock. Molly King is running uncontested for the fifth council seat, now held by Gary Lillard.

Alam said the La Grande City Council will have a different look in the new year.

“It’s not very often that we have multiple candidates running for multiple positions on city council,” he said. “A lot of times, there’s only somebody running unopposed, or somebody that’s been in there for a while. So it’s a very unique opportunity with the opportunity of the council, the look of the council to change very significantly this year with so many people and new faces.”

Alam, who said six of the candidates, so far, have confirmed participation in the event as of Oct. 14, encouraged the public to attend and hear the candidates’ viewpoints.

“Public attendance is highly encouraged because the only way that people can learn more about these things is by being involved, engaged and asking those questions,” he said. “The old saying is the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and if you don’t make your concerns known, then nobody knows to address it.”

What: Public safety town hall forum

Where: La Grande Fire Department, 1806 Cove Ave., La Grande

When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 18

Cost: Free

On Nov. 8, voters will cast their preferences in the midterm election. But to do so, they need to register by Oct. 18, and the following day ballots start going out.