Although Iowa State students spend the majority of the year living in Ames, many tend to overlook city government.

Students and others will have an opportunity to learn more about the people who want to oversee Ames as mayor or city council members during the Ames Neighborhood Coalition’s candidate forum Monday.

“I never understood why students are not more interested in how the city spends their money,” Samuel Pritchard, a former Ames mayoral candidate, said.

Pritchard will be moderating the candidate forum, which will take place at Ames City Hall in the council chambers on Monday from 7 to 9 p.m.

The forum will give people a chance to ask candidates about neighborhood issues such as land-use planning and zoning. “This is an opportunity for people to ask questions directly to the candidates,” Jim Popken, of the Ames Neighborhood Coalition, said.

Candidates participating in the forum are mayoral candidates Larry Curtis and Ted Tedesco, council at-large candidate Russ Cross, 1st ward candidates Sharon Wirth and Bob Schaffer, and 3rd ward candidates Ann Campbell and Bonny Homstad.

“We need a partnership between the community and city government. Communication is really important,” Tedesco said. He added, “Sometimes our meetings can be intimidating because of the rules; this makes the forum an excellent chance to ask questions.”

Wirth said “everybody lives in a neighborhood, so everybody should be concerned about neighborhood issues.”

Neighborhood issues can include everything from the resurfacing of a street in front of someone’s house to a new land-use plan for the whole city.

Questions for the forum will be taken from the audience and by telephone call-in. To phone in a question the evening of the forum, call 239-5211 between 7 and 9 p.m.

The forum will also be broadcast on the government cable channel 12.