In a reversal of his original decision, incumbent Ald. Tom Powell, District 5, is planning to run for the position again in a predominantly student district, contending he is a doctoral student at UW-Madison and is well qualified to represent student interests.
Powell originally took the office when it was found UW student Jessy Tolkan had run an illegal campaign because she did not live in District 5. At that time, Powell said he did not plan to run for the office after his term ended.
Powell said the primary reason he has now decided to run is because he believes he could be more effective as a member of City Council than as a member of the county board, where he also holds a position.
“I had discovered that the issues I cared most about were dealt with in the City Council,” Powell said. “I’ve been much more successful working on City Council. It is more of an even split between liberal and conservative.”
Powell also said he has spent his term in office working on a number of issues relevant to students’ lives and that he believes he can continue to effectively represent student interests.
“My history is pretty strong in terms of working on issues that directly affect students,” he said. “I want to see the programs I’ve started through.”
Powell said his decision was also based on changes in redistricting and on his choice not to challenge a colleague in the county-board election.
“I didn’t think I was going to [run],” Powell said. “But I was being redistricted out of the area I wanted to represent, and I did not want to run against a colleague.”
Powell said he will continue to work on issues affecting students, such as tenants’ rights. He said he hopes to work on zoning laws that will create a defined area of affordable housing.
Ald. Todd Jarrell, District 8, said he has worked on some tenants’ rights issues and is planning on developing new legislation.
“We feel there should it should be someone’s priority to enforce Chapter 32,” Jarrell said.
Powell also said hopes to work with the rising problem of homelessness.
“The homelessness crisis has never been worse,” Powell said. “There is a lot we can do there in providing more assistance and increasing the amount of housing vouchers they are given.”
