County and city officials jointly held a forum Monday to hear University of Wisconsin-Madison students’ input and to answer questions about the 2013 city and county budgets.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, and County Board Supervisor and UW-Madison student Leland Pan discussed a wide range of issues at the forum, from explaining where revenues for the county and city budgets come from to talking about proposed cuts and expansions of programs affecting students, such as the implementation of surveillance cameras throughout downtown streets.
Both Pan and Resnick also spoke about plans for handling homeless shelters in Madison, saying there will be funding for a daytime shelter for the homeless this winter.
UW-Madison sophomore Noah Phillips, who attended the forum, took particular issue with the controversy over whether the city or the county will fund homeless shelters.
“The controversy between the city and the county has me very upset,” Phillips said. “This [forum] seemed like a good opportunity to speak to the city and county governments.”
Two members of the Associated Students of Madison's Student Transportation Board, Meg Haley and Herschel Kissinger, asked Resnick about the city's plans for the future of the Metro Transit service, particularly the Route 80 buses used on campus.
Resnick explained that while the University of Wisconsin Transportation Services was “basically the number one player” when it came to Metro Transit negotiations, many parties are involved in negotiations, such as the Madison Area Technical College and Edgewood College, who also affect fees.
Resnick said he was pleased with the event and also stressed the importance of holding future forums to further involve students in city and county affairs.
