In a move to put pressure on the Princeton Borough government and increase the influence of students in Borough politics, Steven Abt '04 has decided to run for a seat on the Borough Council.
When several members of the USG approached Abt last year in the midst of the debate over the proposed alcohol ordinance with the idea of putting a University student on the council, Abt thought he might be the right man for the job.
"I have never really considered politics but it was always something that was in the back of my mind," Abt said.
Now he will be one of four candidates for three Borough Council seats on the line in this year's election.
Council members serve for three-year terms, and each year two seats are up for election. There are three this year due to the resignation of one of the current council members.
The council, which consists of six members, has several responsibilities, including passing ordinances and adopting a budget. Members also sit on advisory committees.
Abt hopes that he can serve as a liaison "with some power" between the University and the Borough if elected.
"There are a lot of issues that [have] a profound impact on the people that live here," USG president Joe Kochan '02 said. Without a formal voice at the Borough level, Kochan said that student input on Borough issues is limited.
The council is currently considering at least one issue that has the potential to drastically affect campus life: the alcohol ordinance.
If passed, the ordinance would allow police to cite underage drinking on private property, an authority that could directly affect Princeton's eating clubs.
"I am strongly against the proposed ordinance, so I would fight to defeat that," Abt said.
Abt is also interested in other issues which do not directly affect the University. For example, the council is considering a proposal to build a new road from Route 1 into the Borough, decreasing traffic on Borough streets.
Though the University and the council both oppose the proposal, Abt said, "I think it's something the town needs."
Abt will be working with the USG on a voter registration drive during the next month and a voting drive on Election Day.
Though the USG cannot formally support any candidate, Kochan said, it will be helping students fulfill their civic duty to vote.
Students may be also be able to fill out a registration form which will change their residence from their current homes to Princeton Borough at dining halls and eating clubs.
Students who are eligible to vote in the Borough must be eligible to vote in any other U.S. election. In addition, residents of Scully, Butler and part of Forbes are not eligible, as those dorms are located outside of the Borough's borders.
If student turnout is high, Abt said he thinks he has a good chance of being elected.
"I was very excited and I still am," he said.
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