Five candidates vying for seats on the Paso Robles City Council will debate in a public forum Wednesday morning in downtown Paso Robles.

Two four-year seats are open on the City Council this year. Incumbents Fred Strong and Nick Gilman will face challengers Steve Martin, Jim Reed and Jerry Jones for the spots. Jones is a write-in candidate, meaning his name won’t appear on the ballot but voters can write his name down as their chosen candidate.

The city’s mayor race — a two-year seat on the City Council — will not be debated at the event because the only two candidates opposing current Mayor Duane Picanco filed for write-in status after the event was already organized, officials said.

Picanco’s challengers for mayor are Gary Nemeth and Jeff Rougeot. It's not clear whether they will debate in a separate forum another day.

Wednesday's forum will be held at F. McLintocks Saloon, 1234 Park St., at 7:30 a.m.

The public can submit their questions for the candidates during the event, which was organized by the Paso Robles Main Street Association, a downtown merchants group.