Washington -- U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle and Green Party candidate Ursula Rozum said today they have agreed to a series of four town hall meetings in the 24th Congressional District without Democratic challenger Dan Maffei.

The first public meeting will be 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Granby Town Hall, 820 County Route 8, in Oswego County, according to the Buerkle campaign.

Maffei declined Buerkle's invitation in September, calling the congresswoman's proposal nothing more than a "political scheme." A Maffei spokesman said at the time that Buerkle has consistently used her own town hall meetings to "distort the truth" and "perpetuate falsehoods" to Central New Yorkers.

All three candidates have agreed to at least two televised debates that will be split up and carried by every broadcast station in Central New York. Buerkle and Rozum have also accepted an invitation for a debate proposed by cable news station YNN, but Maffei has raised objections about the proposed open format.

The extra public exposure could provide a boost to Rozum, who has consistently received support in the single digits -- up to 7 percent -- in about a half dozen polls in the 24th Congressional District. Political analysts say Rozum, running to the left of Maffei, will likely siphon some voters from his campaign.

The Granby town hall meeting will be moderated by Beth Hilton, executive director at the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce, according to Buerkle campaign officials. Candidates will answer written questions from the audience.

Contact Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWeinerDC