There are only two races in Issaquah on the Nov. ballot, but a room full of constituents came to hear what they had to say Tuesday night at Blakely Hall.

Alison Meryweather and Lisa Callan are running for the only open seat on the Issaquah School District’s board of directors. Meryweather was appointed to the seat in March to replace Chad Magendanz.

Meryweather said kid’s should come first, especially those who have no representation. Her top priority, if retained, is to make sure instruction is relevant, and for students and teachers to be prepared for the new core standards.

Callan, a former engineer and manager at Boeing, would like to see more project-oriented experiences for kids. Callan said adhering to policy governance – making sure they adhere to community values – continuing to support STEM, and the social and emotional health of kids were among her top priorities.

The biggest challenge K-12 students face, Meryweather said, is how to reach every student, even those who fall outside the box. She envisions classrooms looking much different as students work at different levels to meet their educational needs.

Callan wants to open up opportunities through vocational or technical programs to ensure that every student has a successful future. She supports partnerships with businesses to create more opportunities for students.

The two candidates running for mayor of Issaquah both serve on the City Council.

Fred Butler has been re-elected to the council four times. Joe Forkner was chosen from seven candidates in January to serve out the remainder of the council seat vacated by Mark Mullet. However, Forkner has seven years prior experience on the Issaquah City Council, including serving during a previous attempt to annex Klahanie.

Butler is a civil engineer by profession who decided to pursue civil service when he retired. He is also a retired US Army Corps of Engineer Colonel. Butler serves on the Sound Transit and Cascade Water Alliance boards, among others.

Both know Issaquah well. Forkner was a city employee for many years, but has worked for a private engineering firm since 1997. He worked on putting city maps together for planning, police, fire and public works when he was with the city and was also responsible for starting the televising of council meetings.

If elected, Forkner said he would quit his job and devote his time to being mayor, and “sit down and talk” with citizens.

Butler is focused on transportation issues and said he has the experience to motivate city employees.

When asked what each candidate would do to bring jobs to Issaquah, Forkner said he’d move forward with the work the economic development department is doing, while balancing growth with the environment and keeping the city sustainable.

Butler said it’s important how the city interacts with business, stressing that it should be painless to get a permit. He also said keeping the city safe is important to attract business, mentioning drugs, a growing problem in Issaquah.

As far as regional trends that affect Issaquah, both agree transportation is the number one problem people talk about.

The audience questions included “Do we need Klahanie?”

Forkner said no, that it’s not a plus or a minus.

“Putting it to a vote allows citizens to make the choice,” he said.

Butler said Issaquah is built on annexations, but “we have the obligation to give them (voters) the choice.”

Traffic came up more than once, and both candidates said there is no easy solution.

“There’s no magic bullet,” Forkner said. “But workforce housing and transit will help.”

Butler concurred, noting it doesn’t help with a lake and mountains surrounding Issaquah. He is hoping for a more intelligent transportation system.

In the end Forkner summed it up.

“I worry about the city, but the real winner is going to be the city of Issaquah,” he said acknowledging his opponent.

The next candidate forum will be Oct. 17 in Issaquah City Council Chambers.