The Fruita and Palisade chambers of commerce have scheduled public forums featuring candidates in upcoming municipal elections.

The Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a Fruita City Council candidate forum for 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Fruita Monument High School auditorium at 1102 Wildcat Ave. The doors are set to open at 5 p.m. for an informal meet and greet session with the candidates.

The Palisade Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its forum for candidates for town trustee and mayor for 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Palisade High School auditorium located at 3679 G Road.

“As advocates for a thriving Palisade community, the chamber of commerce recognizes the vital role that these positions play in shaping the future of our town,” said Jessica Burford, president and chief executive officer of the Palisade Chamber of Commerce. “This forum serves as a crucial bridge between candidates and the community, fostering understanding and collaboration.”

The candidate forum in Fruita will feature an equal time question and answer format moderated by Justin Gollob, a political science professor at Colorado Mesa University. Candidates will provide a two-minute opening statement and one-minute closing statement. In between, they’ll be given equal time to answer questions — some of the questions the same, others different.

The Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce will accept questions prior to the forum on the chamber website located at https://fruitachamber.org. More information also is available by calling the chamber at (970) 858-3894.

The candidate forum in Palisade also will feature a moderated question and answer format. Those attending the forum will have an opportunity to pose questions directly to the candidates.

For additional information, log on to https://palisadecoc.com or call the chamber at (970) 464-7458.

Municipal elections are scheduled for April 2 in Fruita and Palisade. The elections will be conducted by mail ballots, which will be sent to registered voters in mid-March.

The Fruita election will determine a mayor for a two-year term and three city council members for four-year terms each. The Palisade election will determine a mayor and three trustee positions.