A local candidates forum set for tonight will feature the three Republicans who hope to take over for the retiring Cape Girardeau County Assessor Jerry Reynolds.

The Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club has announced that this is the first of several candidate forums that later will include candidates for public administrator, county commissioner, state Senate, state representative and statewide offices, said Scott R. Clark, the club's vice president and program chairman.

All three candidates for assessor have agreed to participate in tonight's forum, which will begin at 7 p.m. at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau. The candidates are Amy Jones, managing partner of Jones Landmark Development; appraiser Bob Adams; and Ron Andrews, a geographic information systems director in the county's mapping and appraising office.

The filing for office began Feb. 28 and doesn't end until March 27, but Clark said the sheer number of contested races prompted the club to start the forums earlier than normal.

The candidates will have time to make brief opening remarks and then a moderator will ask questions. The candidates, Clark said, are being encouraged to stay after the meeting to take questions from the public. The forum will follow a meal that begins at 6 p.m. and a brief 6:45 p.m. business meeting.

Clark said the next forum will feature the candidates for public administrator.

Pertinent address:

236 S. Broadview St., Cape Girardeau, MO