Northwest Austin Civic Association will host a forum Feb. 13 for Travis County judge and commissioner Precinct 2 contested candidates before the March primary elections.

The forum will be held at 6 p.m. at the Dell Jewish Community Campus, 7300 Hart Lane. Candidates for Travis County judge—Andy Brown and Sarah Eckhardt—and candidates for Travis County commissioner Precinct 2—Garry Brown, Richard Jung and Brigid Shea—will participate. A question-and-answer session will be held after introductions and attendees are encouraged to submit questions for the candidates.

Robert Thomas, NWACA vice president and chairman of NWACA's Civic Engagement Committee, will serve as the event's moderator. The question-and-answer sessions will last approximately 45 minutes each for the respective candidate positions. Another 30 minutes will be designated after the event for residents to meet the Travis County judge and commissioner candidates.

Attendees are encouraged to submit written questions for candidates to answer during at the forum, or prior to the event by emailing questions to [email protected]. Attendees do not need to RSVP in advance.

NWACA began hosting candidate forums about two years ago in an effort to engage the community in elections and to help keep residents informed about community issues, Thomas said.

The Civic Engagement Committee was made into its own group earlier this year after NWACA members realized the need for more community engagement, Thomas said. Among the committee's responsibilities, he said, is identifying issues that are important to the community. In 2013, the committee conducted an online survey that indicated residents want more events such as candidate forums, he said.

"The goal of our Civic Engagement Committee is not only to put on the forums to help our community become aware, but it's also to interact with Austin Neighborhoods Council, to really expand our footprint in Austin generally and to coordinate with our sister neighborhood associations," Thomas said.

The NWACA forum is the second to be held in the Northwest Austin area in 2014. Northwest Austin Coalition hosted a forum for contested candidates for Travis County judge and commissioner on Jan. 27 at the Spicewood Springs Branch Library, 8637 Spicewood Springs Road. To view videos from the event, visit NWAC's website.