Today's election of a new District 5 representative on the Dane County Board of Supervisors will likely take the back burner to votes on the Frankenstein veto and state Supreme Court election, but city and county officials said the position plays a vital role in representing the voice of the campus community.
UW-Madison senior Wyndham Manning and freshman Conor O'Hagan both seek to fill the seat on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. The 5th District is made up almost entirely of students, which presents both challenges and unique opportunities to its representatives.
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, whose constituency also consists primarily of UW-Madison students, said it is particularly difficult to get the campus population involved in government affairs.
I think it's of paramount importance that the supervisor has the ability to translate to students what the county board is up to,"" Judge said.
Judge said both he and the newly elected county supervisor must be committed to outreach and education in their districts.
""Students have a very unique voice, and they need to be represented properly,"" Judge said. ""I think that in many ways having a student [in office] is a big part of making sure students are getting the representation they need.""
City Council President Mike Verveer said he agrees, pointing to the makeup of the districts' voters. ""The bottom line is each of those districts are made up substantially and overwhelmingly by UW-Madison students,"" he said.
Although the county is primarily responsible for human services, as well as managing the lakes and running the county's courts and jails, Verveer said the city plays a meaningful role in many of these county functions. He added Madison would only make headway on those issues through collaboration with county officials like the District 5 supervisor.
""Regional cooperation is critical to solving these issues - everything from public safety to transportation to the environment,"" Verveer said. ""There are a myriad of issues the city and county not only should but must work together to tackle.""
Current District 5 supervisor Ashok Kumar said he hopes his successor will support legislation aimed at cleaning up the lakes and watersheds and establishing a county-wide ordinance to guarantee workers improved wages and benefits.
""I hope that they actually address issues that affect low income people, people of color, women and the LGBT community - communities that have been largely marginalized,"" Kumar said.
Kumar said the student representative on the Dane County Board of Supervisors has historically provided a progressive perspective and he hopes this tradition will continue.
""The voices of students are important, they're refreshing,"" Kumar said. ""We have a long line of progressive, change-minded supervisors who actually made change once they were elected.""
Kumar emphasized the importance of humility in cooperating with city and county officials in order to pass his proposals. However, he said the county supervisor must also be ready to stand up to his colleagues when necessary.
""With humility comes the idea that you're just a public servant. People demand change and you have to execute that,"" Kumar said. ""It's working with people but also being confrontational to effect change.
