MOUNT GREENWOOD — Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) said he would not participate in a town hall meeting with his aldermanic challenger, Anne Schaible.
Both candidates were invited to take part in the meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Parkwood Baptist Church at 11355 S. Central Park Ave. in Mount Greenwood.
The event was pitched as an opportunity to meet the candidates ahead of the municipal election on Feb. 24. Schaible has promised to attend the meeting and plans to discuss localized taxing districts as well as her plans for an elected school board in Chicago.
O'Shea's absence should come as little surprise. The incumbent has said he has no plans to participate in head-to-head debates with his opponent aside from the candidate forum that took place on Jan. 27 at Morgan Park High School.
He's even gone as far as referring to debates as "silly," adding that ongoing debates attract only ardent supporters of each candidate not undecided voters.
"I enjoyed participating in the League of Women Voters’ Forum at Morgan Park High School. Moving forward I will be out knocking on doors and hearing from residents directly about the issues they feel are most important," O'Shea said ahead of the town hall meeting.
O'Shea received 14,426 votes or 61 percent of the total in the last election on Feb. 22, 2011. Schaible — a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology for 23 years — finished second in that election, which included five candidates. She received 6,526 votes or 28 percent of the total.
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