Students of St. Olaf College: You are called to vote in the local Northfield elections. I choose my verbiage carefully, because at a college of the Church, a call carries meaning.

For the past two years, I have represented the section of Northfield that includes Carleton College on the City Council. I know the value that your institution and theirs brings to our community. You are engaged. You serve. Your arrival each fall injects new life and new ideas into our town.

For most of you, your expectations are that four years or less will be your time spent in Northfield. You may even believe this to be ample reason not to participate in local elections. Some local people share this belief. However, I ask you, how many years will St. Olaf Students be in this community? Further, who represents the interests of those future students any better than you do today?

You will have the chance as a St. Olaf student and Northfield resident to vote on four contested seats on our city council, including the mayorıs race and the election of the person designated to represent most of St. Olafıs interests. One of your own felt so strongly about the principle of contested local elections that she filed to run for office! Meghan Milbrath has since thrown her support behind Tom Kotula to represent you, but she first put herself on the line and in the public eye because she felt that it was important that local issues be discussed.

In the coming years, the city council that is elected this fall will determine the fate of a new hospital on St. Olaf property, roadways through the campus, the vitality of our downtown, urban sprawl, a business park on Highway 19 west of campus, and local redistricting of representatives‹which could impact how St. Olaf is represented in the city. The current mayor and council have already affected you by zoning adult businesses into an area immediately across from campus. Your administration tried to fight this and I am proud to have voted against it. It passed nevertheless. Were your interests represented in this decision? Did you even know that it happened?

I am partial to one candidate who is running to be your mayor. Keith Covey knows your needs, but more importantly, his candidacy is based on a desire to serve. He is a former mayor, responsible for the largest public investment in our downtown, for environmental protection of Carletonıs Arb, and for the new student housing on Division Street. He will ensure that future development in our town balances economic, environmental and social needs.

I guarantee you that your interests in Northfield will survive the end of the time that you spend here. Please support those who believe that public service really is a call. Show your engagement in the community, learn about local candidates and vote!