Local and state government officials with DeKalb County ties have scheduled public forums with constituents in early 2012.

Public forums — addressing issues of the day ranging from streamlined political initiatives to county budget concerns — populate the remaining days of January.

District. 85 State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, D-Atlanta, and District 83 State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, will join District 42 State Sen. Jason Carter in hosting a “DeKalb County Town Hall Meeting” Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

The event, to take place at the Decatur City Commission Chamber, will abide by an open-mic style format.

“We haven’t set a specific agenda,” Stuckey Benfield said. “This is about listening to [citizens’] concerns … it’s really an agenda of anything goes.”

The state representative anticipates fielding questions about any number of current hot-button political topics.

“The questions and issues I’m hearing lately involve people concerned about cuts to HOPE [scholarship], jobs and the economy, tax reform, charter schools, the Decatur Wal-Mart and [the list goes on],” said Stuckey Benfield.

She acknowledged that Thursday’s event will likely spawn more focused, issue-related follow-up meetings.

County officials are also inviting residents to similar functions around DeKalb.

DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis kicked off a series of town hall meetings regarding county issues Tuesday night in Ellenwood. The next such forum is set for Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. at Ashford Park Elementary School in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, county commissioner Lee May is in the midst of holding a trio of South DeKalb budget hearings.

The second hearing is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. at Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia.