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News Release

MEDIA CONTACT:
Marylou Berg, Communication Manager, 240-314-8105
    

Three Televised Candidate Debates for Rockville Elections Scheduled
Twelve Community Members will Vie for Mayor and Council Seats on Nov. 3

ROCKVILLE, Md., September 21, 2009-Three debates featuring candidates for the 2009 City of Rockville Mayor and Council elections are scheduled for three weeknights in October.

Rockville Channel 11, the City's cable television station, will air the televised debates in October and will make them available online, at www.rockvillemd.gov/rockville11/index.html.

City of Rockville elections are held every two years, at which time the mayor and four council seats are up for election.

For the mayoral seat, Mayor Susan R. Hoffmann will seek re-election and current Councilmember Phyllis Marcuccio will also run.

Ten will vie for the four council seats. They are:

• John Britton
• Piotr "Peter" Gajewski
• Carl Henn
• Trapper Martin
• Tom Moore
• Mark Pierzchala
• Bridget Newton
• Virginia Onley
• Waleed Ovase
• Max van Balgooy

Councilmember Anne M. Robbins will not seek re-election.

Selected groups that are independent and nonpartisan, and that do not endorse candidates, will organize the televised debates. The groups are responsible for inviting candidates, choosing a moderator and format, and deciding what questions to ask. The three debates, all of which will begin at  7 p.m., to be televised and carried online are as follows:

• Thursday, Oct. 8 - Hosted by West End Citizens Association at the Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Drive.
  
• Tuesday, Oct. 13 -- Rockville Chamber of Commerce at Legacy Hotel and Conference Center, 1775 Rockville Pike
  
• Tuesday, Oct. 20 -- Twinbrook Citizens Association at the Twinbrook Community Recreation Center, 12920 Twinbrook Parkway.
  

The Rockville Campaign Policy that was adopted in 2003 and amended in 2006 allows for up to three debates to be televised on Rockville Channel 11. All candidates will be invited to the debates. Five groups requested to have debates televised. Those selected were chosen randomly.

To learn more about City of Rockville elections, call 240-314-8280 or go to www.rockvillemd.gov/election09/index.html.

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