Dear Editor, I attended the public Candidate Forum last Thursday evening. I would like to thank the citizens who attended and showed an interest in our City. I was however shocked and disappointed that two of the incumbents, Place #3 and Place #5, chose not to attend. Having served two terms on the City Council, during a time when several of us on the Council wanted to trim departments and cut unnecessary expenses, I had the “GUTS” to show up and defend my intentions and answer the questions from the citizens who I took an oath to serve. Incumbents for Place #3 and Place #5 did no such thing. Council #5 did however employ a private citizen to distribute a statement, along with more financial records, titled “Chamber of Commerce Expenditures” on his behalf. In this typed statement he writes: “Transparency and your first amendment rights as citizens is a main concern of ours” (Who does OURS refer to?) “and would like to hear more from our CITIZENS and those that elect us to represent them on a local level.” Then he goes on to say: “I hope to visit with each and everyone of you to better explain the work that is being done behind the scenes with the Texas Lodging Association to promote small towns our size, by getting the laws rewritten to include us in a more broad spectrum of the law being wrote using the HOT funds for tourism and growth.” (Bad grammar: should be “Every One” and Written not Wrote”!) All I can say to this Councilman #5, is that you had your chance on Thursday, March 28th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. to “hear more from our CITIZENS”! You could have visited with many individuals who did attend the forum with the expectation of asking you and other candidates questions, sharing their concerns and suggestions, BUT YOU CHOSE TO NOT ATTEND! That is a cop out! You didn’t have the GUTS to attend and be accountable for your belligerent decision making. And, what about OUR First Amendment Rights with which you are so concerned? When you have publicly attacked each and every person who has an opinion that differs from your own, how can you declare your concern for our freedoms? The same is true for Incumbent Place #3, the excuse of your wife’s birthday is insufficient reason to fail to attend a public forum that began at 6 p.m. and concluded by 7:05 p.m. It tells me you do not understand, consider, nor care about the trust that Citizens have placed in you. As I stated in the Q & A: “If any Presidential Candidate, Senator, State Representative or other person seeking to hold a public office failed to show up for a Public Forum, it would be political suicide.” Councilman #3, you have visited my office many times and called me many times seeking to understand how City Budgets are done and what to look for. As well as my opinion on various items or issues. As a citizen and friend, I was happy to help you, going as far as circling numbers, and helping you with questions to ask. I am very disappointed and have personally told you so. Therefore, one can only conclude that the two incumbents, who failed to attend the Public Forum, are not committed to the Citizens of Fairfield. Donna J. Tyus Fairfield, Texas