NORWICH – Members of a new informal community forum group are preparing to tackle public discussions on the most pressing and delicate issues in the county and are extending an invitation to all who would like to join in.

Plans are in the works to hold the monthly Chenango Community Forum to discuss and debate controversial issues in a civilized manner. The first forum will spotlight concerns of federal, state and local taxes and will be held from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, in the community room of the Guernsey Memorial Library.

“We’ve set up a community forum with conversations about difficult topics with the expectation that we’re going to disagree,” said Tom Holmes, coordinator of the new group. “If it’s going to be productive, it needs to be about the things we disagree on,” he added. The hope is that civilized discussion will instill different view points and opinions, and encourage open-mindedness when it comes to hot-button issues.

“Like many other people, we have been distressed at the level of vitriol being expressed in the media and among our political leaders,” wrote Holmes in a public invitation earlier this month.