On April 1, members of Dane County District 5, including University of Wisconsin students, will have the opportunity to elect either incumbent Leland Pan or Chris Hoffman for a seat on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors is in charge of county ordinances and levying taxes, and the District 5 seat tends to be held by students. District 5 is largely made up of the UW campus, with Campus Drive as a southern border, Henry Street, Gorham Street and North Broom Street making up the eastern boundary and the area west of Eagle Heights Drive along the western edge.

I have had the privilege and honor to represent students and the community in District 5 on the Dane County Board for the past two years and today I am asking you for your support to continue to do so. In 2012, I ran to empower the student voice, to facilitate the progressive work being done in the community and to stand up to regressive policies coming from Gov. Scott Walker, and I want to build on this work. This is, for me, a role to give back to the community I was a member of for 12 years. Madison’s campus was the first place my mother lived in the United States. My parents first lived together in Eagle Heights. I want to make sure students like you, me and my parents are represented in our government.

In my two years as our county supervisor, I have worked with my colleagues to make progress on issues that matter to students. I’ve sponsored initiatives to reduce fossil fuel use in Madison and to help identify and reduce sources of greenhouse gases in Dane County. I’m proud to have worked with other downtown supervisors to help fund a new daytime homeless resource center that will be opening later this year. We have found the resources to keep essential services for students like the Tenant Resource Center, Planned Parenthood of Dane County and LGBT Outreach Center open, despite cuts in state aid. In the face of Walker’s attacks on workers’ rights, I was the lead sponsor of Dane County’s new law that ensures that our county continues to guarantee bargaining rights to its public sector unions. Because of these accomplishments, I am proud to have the support of U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, both of Madison’s state senators, state Reps. Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, and Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, County Executive Joe Parisi and 26 fellow members of the County Board.

I have also been able to work with my colleagues to call for action from other levels of government on student issues. Just this month, the board passed a resolution written by District 33 Supervisor Jenni Dye, a UW graduate, and myself, calling for action on the problem of out-of-control student loan debt. On the April ballot, voters will have the chance to ask the state government to legalize marijuana because of a referendum I wrote. I am proud to be working with Sargent at the state level on her proposal to legalize.

I am your representative on the Dane County Board and for the last two years I have worked with you and for you. I am asking for your support so we can continue to make progress on issues crucial to us, as UW students and as future leaders. I hope I can count on your vote on April 1.

Leland Pan ([email protected]) is a Dane County Board supervisor representing District 5 and a fourth-year UW student.