A political debate Tuesday evening will give city residents an opportunity to hear from five candidates running for Dawsonville City Council.

Sponsored by the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and planned by the chamber's government affairs committee, the forum starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday and will be held at the Historic Harben Bros. Station in downtown Dawsonville.

Chamber president Christie Haynes will serve as moderator.

While the Dawson County Republican Party currently uses the space as its headquarters, organizers say the forum is intended as a non-partisan event.

"The chamber encourages everyone to be informed when they go to the polls so we hope this event will be an aid to our community during election season," Haynes said.

Candidates Frank Craft, Alan Metzel, Tom Schaide, Angie Smith and Mike Sosebee, however, each registered as republicans when they qualified to run for the two open council seats in the Nov. 6 municipal special election.

The election is citywide and the seats will go to the top two vote-getters.

The election is required to fill the unexpired terms of former councilmen James Grogan and Calvin Byrd, who both resigned to run for mayor following the death of Joe Lane Cox in March.

Grogan won the July 31 contest.

Smith and Caleb Phillips are temporarily filling the two posts as appointed members. Phillips chose not to seek a permanent seat.