Candidates for the June 4 election were faced with tough questions Thursday night from residents of Butler County at The Greenville Advocate's first candidate forum.

In the race for coroner, Wayne Garlock and Richard Hornsby were present to answer questions about the role of coroner and what they would change if elected to office. Both candidates agreed that it is important for a coroner to have a strong Emergency Medical Services (EMS) backround, and that it is important for the coroner to work with and be available to the public.

"A coroner should be someone that has a little bit of experience in the field, and Wayne has been in the field just as long as I have," said Hornsby. "The role of the coroner is someone who has an education in EMS, but in smaller areas, we take what we can get. I feel like it should be better in rural areas, but we have to deal with what we got."

"The coroner must be 18 years old, a registered voter in Butler County, but there is no background requirement. It does help to have a background and training in EMS. You need good qualifications because you have to know what you are facing when you are on the job. Whether it is a two-year or four-year degree, you have to have a background to take care of the situation," said Garlock.

In the race for the Butler County Board of Education, every candidate showed up to answer questions about what issues are important to being a board member. Questions such as their thoughts on the mandatory graduation exercises, the block scheduled versus the seven-period day, and the current policy on absences were all discussed.

Others present at the forum included MacDonald Russell, who is running for district judge, and Carolyn Middleton, who is unchallenged in the race for tax assessor.