When making endorsements in 2016, we sent questionnaires to each candidate The feedback we received from candidates is that it was too long, and took too much time. So this year we attended or watched online Forums, read news articles, followed the candidates on Social Media and their public appearances, and spoke with them when directly possible. Our representatives attended each of the Chamber of Commerce forums at the Fayetteville Public Library. We also talked with people in the community to gather their opinions, both of the candidates and the needs of our community in the years to come. Pressing issues in the community in this election have centered on concerns of growth and development. Rapid population growth brings the opportunities of a booming economy, but also strains our infrastructure requiring careful and intentional planning. Rising housing rates, increased homelessness, and shifting demographics create equity challenges. But at the same time, local government is looking at renewing capital improvement bonds that make it possible to intelligently address many of these challenges. These are some of the issues that have weighed most heavily in our decision making in this year's endorsements. Here are our picks for:
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