The 19 candidates are in the running for County judge-executive, Circuit judge, District judge, County Commissioner, Sheriff, Jailer and Constable 2nd District. (List of candidates in attendance below)
Each candidate was asked the same question and given three minutes to reply.
Jailer candidates David Knight and Dan Sims were in attendance. The other candidate in the race, Jonathon Griggs did not attend Monday's forum.
Knight and Sims were asked how they planned to reduce the financial cost of running the jail.
Knight, the current McCracken County Jailer, said he has been in the position for the past three and half years and has come under budget every time by spending the taxpayer's dollars physically responsible and renegotiating contracts. Currently, he said they are about $1.5 million under budget.
Sims said there are many different avenues. "You have the budget broken into line items and the Fiscal Court with the Jailer set the line items. As long as you don't overspend on the line items and spend frivolously, you're automatically going to save money there."
Sims added that strict control and oversight of that budget, not monthly but weekly, is key to saving money.
If you missed Monday's forum, you have another chance to hear from the candidates at Tuesday's Paducah-McCracken County NAACP forum at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Crouse Hall. A meet-and-greet will be held at 6 p.m., with the forum starting at 6:30 p.m.
To hear the entire forum click here.
Here's a complete list of the candidates who attended the forum:
Constable 2nd District: Eric Augustus, Mike Steele
Jailer: David Knight, Dan Sims
Sheriff: Ryan Norman, Wesley Orazine
County commissioner: Bill Bartleman , Richard Abraham, Jeff Parker, Yolanda Johnson, Eddie Jones
District judge: Amanda Branham, James Mills, Craig Newbern Jr.
Circuit judge: Joe Roark, Chuck Walter
County judge executive: Craig Clymer, Matt Moore, Gary Vander Boegh
The two candidates not present were District Judge candidate Chris Hollowell and McCracken County Jailer candidate Jonathan Griggs.
