UW-Eau Claire students can help make the deciding vote Tuesday in two voting districts for City Council elections due to the 2000 Census.
The city was redistricted to give equal representation to different areas of the city. The campus community will vote in two of the five districts – Districts 3 and 4.
| Eau Claire voting districts Story continues below advertisement District 3: South and east of Chippewa River, including on-campus students District 4: North and west of Chippewa River, including the Water Street area |
District 3 covers areas south and east of Chippewa River, including most of lower campus and all of upper campus. District 4 covers areas north and west of Chippewa River, including the Water Street area.
The candidates for District 3 are Lynne Young and Toby Biegel. The District 4 candidates are Bob Von Haden and Harold E. Davis.
The candidates understand they have special issues to address because of the large student population in their districts.
| Voting Locations On-campus residents: Davies Center Water Street area: Grace Lutheran Church, 202 W. Grand Ave. Third Ward: Masonic Temple, 616 Graham Ave. District 3 Candidates: Toby Biegel and Lynne Young |
Third district candidates, Biegel and Young, are concerned with finding a solution to alleviating parking problems in the Third Ward.
Biegel proposes increased funding for the mass transit system in Eau Claire. He would like to increase the number of bus loops going through the university.
“We need to save the buses,” he said.
Young also said she sees the bus system as an important issue to her constituents. She said she has previously looked into late-night bus service, and, if re-elected, would continue to try to install such a program.
Biegel said he also hopes to work with the university to find a solution to the parking problem. One option he has been considering involves asking UW-Eau Claire officials to consider the construction of a multi-tiered parking area on lower campus.
“If Davies Center expansion (were ever) to happen,” he said, “it has to have a significant portion of the building dedicated to parking, to help alleviate some of these (parking) pressures.”
The candidates said they understand the university is an important area in their districts.
Davis said the university is an important partner in bringing new businesses to the area. He said he would like to see more technical fields added to the community.
“I would like to see the city push hard for an engineering school in Eau Claire,” he said.
Von Haden agreed, adding that student input in the community is important.
“The more interchange we have between students and the community the better off (Eau Claire) will be,” he said.
Bringing more jobs to the Eau Claire area is also a goal of the candidates.
Davis said the area should focus further industrial growth on the growth that already has been achieved. Some examples, Davis said, are the medical, plastics and computer industries.
Landlord relations are also an issue third and fourth district candidates are looking into.
“No one deserves to live in (a) sub-standard-type environment,” Young said. “And if (landlord licensing) is what it takes to get everyone to step up to the plate, then I’m going to look at that.”
Junior Tony Eichberger spoke to the District 3 candidates about community and Greek organization relations when the candidates stopped to speak with students Friday at Davies Center.
“My goal in speaking with City Council candidates is to work toward improving relations between my fraternity and the surrounding neighborhood,” Eichberger said.
Student involvement is important in the City Council election, he said.
“The candidates are going to be representing everyone who lives on campus,” Eichberger said. “That right there is a justifiable reason for students to get involved.”
