Socorro City Council elections will take place on May 8 and early voting starts April 26.

KFOX has reported on the controversial issues that have surrounded the city of Socorro, including surveillance video that shows Mayor Trini Lopez and City Manager Lorenza Fraire in what appears to be a scuffle. Click here to read about what's going on in Socorro City Hall.

For months, important items on the city agenda went ignored as city representatives walked out or deleted items.

On Tuesday, the forum began with a typical Socorro-style outburst.

He's the one that should leave!" exclaimed Socorro city representative Joe Hernandez to Lopez as got up from his seat.

Lopez asked Hernandez, who is not running for his seat, to leave the auditorium. Lopez stepped up to the podium and said there was a problem because there was a quorum. He said with him present and three other city representatives, they form a quorum and that's against state law. The Texas Open Meetings Act prohibits a majority of council from gathering with out official notice from the city.

"I was disappointed to hear that. I'm not surprised but disappointed," said Alma Puentes from Socorro.

People have complained that the bickering that goes on during city council meeting halts important city issues that need to be addressed. But the turnout at the candidate forum indicates not many people care. Out of the more than 14,000 registered voters in Socorro, only about 20 were at the forum.

"Yes, they should come and get informed but I think people are fed up. They just really don't care sometimes," said Mary Perez, a former Socorro city representative who attended the forum.

The constituents who did show up wonder how much candidates care when half of them didn't attend the forum.

"They come to this campaign, I believe they're not interested in our city," said Miguel Martinez.

City representative Jesse Gandara said he didn't show up to the forum because of the quorum issue. Gandara is running unopposed.

The mayor's race drew four challengers for incumbent Trini Lopez.

James A. Campos, a businessman, was Lopez's opponent for the mayoral seat in 2006. He said people need to get involved in politics in order to see progress in the city.

Ralph Duran is the chairman of the Civil Service Commission. He was not present at the forum.

Willie Gandara served as a trustee for the Socorro Independent School District Board for 11 years. He said he wants to bring respect back to the city.

Jose "Anthony" Gandara is Willie Gandara's nephew and graduated from high school in 2009. He did not attend the forum.

For the District 1 race, the incumbent Jesus "Chuy" Hernandez will run against Luis Varela. Neither of them showed up to the forum.

In District 2, Tommy A. Faulkner, the incumbent, is facing off with Gloria Rodriguez who didn't show up to the meeting.

Faulkner said, “I’m here to help the people and listen to the people.”

In District 3, Arnulfo Salazar will go against Mary Garcia. The incumbent Joe Hernandez decided not to run.

Salazar, an electrical and air conditioner contractor, said, “I do like rules, and I like everyone else to follow the rules."

Garcia was not present.

For the At-Large seat, the incumbent Sergio Cox will run against Guillermo "Willie" Madrid Jr.

Cox, a former El Paso police officer, said, "We had to take control of council because of expenditures not recorded. We had to bring in a new interim city manager who found errors that were in the books for quite some time."

Madrid did not show up to the forum.