HAYDEN - While voters from other area cities get to watch their candidates square off during a debate forum Thursday, those in Hayden might not.

The city only has two contested races, one for mayor and one for City Council seat No. 1. But incumbent Mayor Ron McIntire won't be attending the forum, and his son-in-law, Kris LaMarr, who is running for City Council, might not make it, either.

McIntire has a "pre-scheduled commitment" that day, Hayden city clerk Vicki Rutherford said Monday.

McIntire's challenger, current City Councilwoman Nancy Taylor Lowery, is available for the debate.

The city of Coeur d'Alene is hosting debates for its candidates and those from other cities at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library.

One of the planned debates is between LaMarr and his opponent, Tim Timmins.

LaMarr said Monday he might have to work, because of "strange circumstances."

LaMarr, a commercial truck driver on local routes, said his employer is short-handed right now because a fellow employee had surgery.

"I won't know until Thursday" if he can participate in the debate, he said.

LaMarr said if he does, he'll be telling the audience he's running because he wants to serve the community.

"There's no ulterior motive," LaMarr said.

Timmins, owner of Eagle Ridge Builders, a home-building business, said he is looking forward to the debate.

"I will be there," he said.

Timmins said he wants to discuss city impact fees that home builders have to pay, and he complains are too high.

"I'm not against impact fees," he said. "I want to look into how they are being implemented and if they're fair."

He said impact fees are more than twice as high in Hayden as in Coeur d'Alene.

Timmins and LaMarr are running for the seat Lowery holds, but she is not running for re-election so she can pursue the mayor post.

The LaMarr-Timmins debate is scheduled for 4:30 to 5 p.m. It will be aired on Channel 19 live, and be re-broadcast at a later date.

Chris Copstead will be moderating.

The candidates will be given a minute each to introduce themselves. They will each answer a question with the other getting a chance for rebuttal. Then they both get to field three questions submitted by the public.

It will close with a final question for each, which Susan Weathers, Coeur d'Alene's city clerk, described as an "if-elected-type question."

The candidates will have either one or two minutes to answer each question.

The candidates were notified of the debate forum on Sept. 29, Weathers said.

The library is at 702 E. Front Ave. The debates will be conducted in the community room downstairs.