Madison officials and University of Wisconsin students came together Wednesday to give students a venue to voice their opinions of where the city should spend its money.
UW students and staff were invited to voice their feedback on how tax money should be allocated for the next budget cycle in a forum hosted by Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4; Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8; and Ald. Sue Ellingson, District 13.
According to Ellingson, the forum provided an opportunity for community input by students on city issues.
“In many cities, the City Council goes behind closed doors and comes out and says, ‘here’s the budget,'” Ellingson said. “Through a community effort, residents can learn exactly where their tax dollars are going.”
The meeting included an exercise in which students were asked how they would divide and spend $100,000 in the city budget. Students chose to allocate the money to city projects such as street parking, improvements to public transit and remodeling accident-prone areas on Gorham Street and Johnson Street.
While students had a number of ideas regarding city improvement, Madison Organizational Development and Training Officer Karl van Lith noted that $100,000 would not be enough to cover all of the hypothetical expenses listed.
According to Organizational Improvement Specialist Guy VanRensselaer, a significant percent of city tax revenue comes from income taxes, money that directly affects UW students.
“This should be important to students, because with every rent check they write, they are paying city taxes,” Resnick said. “Landlords collect their checks to pay property taxes, which, in the downtown area, are the highest in Madison. Therefore students should have a large demand in city improvements that they want to see.”
The meeting also served as a forum where students could voice concerns about city issues they have experienced. One student expressed safety concerns while walking home at night near campus while another noted the slow response of the Madison Fire Department to fire alarms.
Overwhelmingly, students agreed a number of the apartment buildings near campus appear worn-down and unsafe, notably on streets such as Mifflin Street, Bassett Street and College Court. Students also said buildings should be more thoroughly inspected and landlords should be urged to follow city building codes more strictly.
Overall, city officials were receptive to the students’ ideas and emphasized the importance of engaging in a budgeting process that impacts the everyday lives of students.
According to VanRensselaer, a significant percent of the population of Madison, including students, was ignored last time a city budget was decided on.
“Students, staff, 60,000 people are located in an island sitting within the greater city,” VanRensselaer said. “We had no idea if we heard any of that voice last time. This is our opportunity to hear that voice. Our expectation was to start here and see if there is an interest. How many people can you really get to come to a budget discussion?”
While attendance at the event was low, he said the event still provided officials with a flavor of the issues and needs of students.
The forum was the first of several meetings that will take place across the city in the coming weeks to engage with citizens on the city budget and its many components.
