Public candidate debates to begin June 24-25 in Oak Hill: County Council at-large & dis 3 races, 2 municipal seats

Similar vetting to be held in Daytona, New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, DeLand, Deltona, Lake Mary & Sanford

Headline Surfer videos by Multi-Media Editor Serafina King-Frederick / Here are two clips from public candidate debates held in Oak Hill in the runoff to the 2012 November elections. The award-winning newspaper sponsored and moderated 16 debates that election cycle in Oak Hill, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange. The debates return later this month. Below is  snapshot of the County Council dis. 3 candidates in the first debate of the 2012 primary at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach between Deb Denys, Jim Hathaway and Justin Kennedy. Hathaway won the primary, but Denys won the November runoff. This time around, Kennedy of Edgewater, returns to challenge Denys again.
 

Deb Denys, Jim Hathaway, Justin Kennedy in 2012 debates / Headline SurferDAYTONA BEACH -- Qualifying for the 2014 elections ends June 20. With that in mind, Headline Surfer® will begin its 2014 "public candidate debates" in the Oak Hill City Hall on June 24-25 with a focus on the district 3 and at-large County Council races as well as the two city commission seats.

The 24/7 internet newspaper has officially reserved the Oak Hill Commission Chambers through City Clerk/Administrator Kohn Evans for 5 to 8:30 p.m. that Tuesday and Wednesday.

Exact line-ups will be announced on Monday. Candidates will be contacted in writing and are expected to show up and show true transparency by answering questions. These first round of debates will be sponsored and moderated by Headline Surfer®.

The debates will be videotaped and presented on YouTube as well as on the internet newspaper's home page. Audience participation is key to Headline Surfer's public candidate debates with the emphasis on "public."

Additional debates will be scheduled during the primary season in New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, Daytona Beach, DeLand and Deltona, as well as in Sanford and Lake Mary in Seminole County, leading up to the Aug. 26 primary. Headline Surfer® hopes to have the primary schedule finished by the start of early voting, which begins Aug.16-23.

Then a whole new round of debates will be scheduled for the runoff elections in November. Headline Surfer sponsored and moderated 16 debates in 2012 and two in 2009. The internet newspaper also will issue full endorsements, some possibly for the primary contests as well as for the runoffs.

Here are specifics for the races and candidates scheduled for the initial debate nights in Oak Hill:

County Council at large:
Joyce Cusack of DeLand and a New Smyrna Beach native, who is the incumbent;
Roy Johnson, mayor of Holly Hill;
Webster Barnaby, first-term Deltona city commissioner;
Patricia Northey, of Deltona, term-limited dis. 1 county councilwoman.
 
County Council Dis. 3
Deb Denys of New Smyrna Beach, the incumbent;
David Machuga of New Smyrna Beach;
John Calache of New Smyrna Beach;
Justin Kennedy, of Edgewater.
 
Oak Hill seat 1:
Ron Engele, the incumbent;
Linda Hyatt;
Lyn Seward.
 
OakHill seat 3:
Kathy Bittle, the incumbent;
Jupp Norhausen.