Last Tuesday, student voters issued a mandate for progressive change by electing Robbie Webber and me to the City Council and Dave Cieslewicz to the mayor’s office. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful volunteers and supporters and offer our roadmap for accomplishing the goals set out during the campaign.

One of my first goals, which if accomplished will greatly facilitate the rest of them, is to dramatically increase the number of students that serve on city committees. Of the 821 citizens of Madison that serve in this capacity, only four are students. If we were represented proportionally on these bodies, we would have 160 seats. This outrageously disparate status quo needs to end, and thankfully, Mayor-elect Cieslewicz has made student appointments a priority. If you are interested in serving your city in this capacity and can make a two-year commitment, please contact me at awking@wisc.edu or 213-0104 and tell me about your specialties or passions.

I’ve spent the past days meeting with students, other alders, city staff and the mayor-elect to put together a roadmap for accomplishing the pro-student agenda outlined in my campaign. The very first area that I’ll be able to win victories is neighborhood and campus concerns relating to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. I will soon be submitting requests to obtain stop signs for intersections on Langdon Street that are dangerous or difficult for pedestrians to cross. I am also working with others to enhance the Park Street pedestrian crossings near Library Mall by applying reflective paint and warning lights to increase nighttime walking safety.

The larger policy issues that I campaigned on will take considerably more time to advance. The very first order of business is to get sworn into office, which will happen this coming Tuesday. Once an official alder, I expect to introduce legislation establishing a local minimum wage, shifting policy priorities away from marijuana and underage-drinking busts and toward public safety, creating affordable housing through universal inclusionary zoning, ending Section 8 discrimination, reforming security-deposit procedures to protect tenants, controlling urban sprawl and protecting drink specials.

Winning victories on these issues won’t be easy or quick, and it won’t happen without the help of students and student organizations. I need you to step up and serve on city committees, I need you to attend council meetings and testify and I need you to share your concerns with me often. I also need a strong student government, so I would highly recommend voting in the ASM elections today and tomorrow against the opt-out referendum, for the United Council referendum, and for progressive, dedicated ASM representatives. I have endorsed the Student Alliance of Madison, and encourage you to visit www.samforasm.com to learn more and vote.

Thank you to all those who supported me and to Mr. Erlanger for running a spirited campaign. I realize that it is a fairly large responsibility to be the only 20-something on the Common Council, and there is so much that I hope to accomplish. To get there, however, I’ll need your help. Vote, volunteer and voice your opinions loudly.

Austin King (awking@wisc.edu) is a UW senior and District 8 alder-elect to the Madison City Council.