Stay informed at election forums

With just over a month until the Nov. 8 election, local organizations are making is easier for the public to learn about Encinitas issues and candidates with several forums scheduled over the next few weeks.

First, on Wednesday, Oct. 5, the Olivenhain Town Council will host a Mayoral and City Council candidate forum at 7:30 p.m. at the Olivenhain Meeting Hall, 423 Rancho Santa Fe Rd.

Current City Council member Catherine Blakespear and local businessman Paul Gaspar are vying for the position of Encinitas Mayor. Gaspar is the husband of current Mayor Kristin Gaspar.

With three Encinitas City Council seats up for grabs, incumbents Tony Kranz and Mark Muir are being challenged by Planning Commissioners Tasha Boerner Horvath and Tony Brandenburg, as well as Phil Graham, a former candidate for California Assembly.

Measure A, which would push a half-cent sales tax increase to support transportation improvements by SANDAG, will be discussed at a forum on Thursday, Oct. 6 (from 6 to 7:30 pm.) at the Encinitas Library. This forum will be run by the League of Women Voters and is being sponsored by the North County Climate Change Alliance.

On Friday, Oct. 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. San Elijo Life hosts a League of Women Voters ballot measures explanation and discussion at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo Campus. Seventeen qualified ballot measures will be discussed.

Later in October, the Leucadia-Encinitas Town Council will sponsor separate Mayoral (Oct. 11 from 7 to 9 p.m.) and Council (Oct. 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.) candidate forums at the Encinitas Library. These will also be hosted by League of Women Voters.

Between those two events, Engage Encinitas has asked the League of Women Voters to put on a forum around the issue of Measure T, the Encinitas Housing Element Update, which is on the ballot because of Prop A. This forum is set for Thursday, Oct. 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Encinitas Library.