About 50 Callaway County residents attended a public forum were six county Republican and Democratic candidates squared off in a public forum Monday night in Fulton.
The forum at the Callaway County Senior Center was sponsored by the Kingdom of Callaway Chamber of Commerce.
After Eastern District Commissioner Gabe Craighead decided not to seek re-election, two new candidates are seeking the office.
They are Republican Randall Kleindienst and Democrat Bryant Liddle.
Kleindienst said he wants to use his experience as a builder, developer, real estate agent and his work as a county road and bridge department employee as a county commissioner.
Kleindienst said he already knows how the road department works and he would like to see much improvement in county roads.
Kleindienst said he is opposed to county planning and zoning because he believes it interferes with precious freedom that American soldiers fought to protect.
Liddle said he believes planning is necessary but he is opposed at this point to county zoning. Liddle said members of the county commission are not authorized to implement either county planning or zoning and it can only occur if the voters approve.
Liddle said the public needs to be educated on the issue.
Liddle said he wants to use his experience working in Fulton as a union steward before he retired two years ago from AT&T.
He has been working as a sales representative since then at Modern Farm Equipment Co. in Fulton.