The first of two candidate forums sponsored by the Selma and Dallas County Chamber of Commerce will take play on May 25 from 5-7 p.m.

“This will be an opportunity for all the candidates on the June 1 ballot to speak to their constituents,” the chamber’s Claire Twardy said.

The event will be held at the Performing Arts Center on Selma Avenue.

Candidates for the U.S, Congress, Circuit Court, District Court, District Attorney and Dallas County Commission candidates will be invited to make their case to the public.

“If you’re really concerned about what’s happening in our community and want to speak to the candidates, this is the perfect opportunity,” Twardy said.

The candidates will each get three minutes to speak about their platform and additional three minutes to take questions.

Afterward, candidates will have an opportunity to make themselves available to the public for further discussion.

“We feel it’s very important that the public come and find out who there people are and why they are running,” Twardy said.

Twardy said the concerns of local business owners prompted the Chamber to sponsor the forum.

“The Chamber of Commerce and the Board thought it was the time to be proactive,” Twardy said. “There are a lot of concerns that need to be discussed.

It’s good for the candidates and it also gives the public the chance to hear all of them in one venue.”

The forum is free to residents of the candidates’ districts.

“It’s just a good time to find out what they want to do four our county,” Twardy said. “We just hop that this will be a great forum.”

The mayoral candidates as well as Selma City Council and City Council President Candidates will get a chance to speak at a later forum.