On Tuesday night candidates for La Crosse City Council met at the Myrick Park Center to address concerns in the community and express their ideas for the city.

Among the candidates was current UW-L junior, Patrick Brever. Brever is hoping to represent the Fifth City Council district, which encompasses the UW-L campus, and his race is currently uncontested.

Brever’s past experience in politics includes a Washington D.C. internship with Congressman Ron Kind, he served as a Senator on Student Senate before becoming Vice President, and worked in the Parks and Recreation Department in Oak Creek, Wisconsin for 6 years.  All of which he feels has prepared him to serve on the La Crosse City Council.

“I have represented students at UW-L since I was a freshman and I believe I am as qualified as anyone to represent them at the local level,” Brever stated.  “And I have an interest in these local issues.”

The City Council will be reducing the city’s number of seats from 17 to 13 districts being represented.  When the moderator asked how he would develop relationships with constituents in a growing district, Brever answered that it was all about being accessible to students. He also expressed the need for City Council to utilize its social media accounts in order to connect with younger constituents.

Brever reflected that he hopes to represent the students’ voices by maintaining open communication, and by hosting open forums with student leaders.  “I think it is about listening, and really taking into account what they believe and think, and educating them the best I can on local issues because I don’t think we’ve done a lot of that lately.”

The renovation of the Veterans Memorial Municipal Pool, located near campus, was one of the issues discussed at the open forum Tuesday night.  Brever argued that he supports the renovation for two reasons.  First, he commented that the location is important, so that the pool remains accessible for families.  Secondly, he felt the pool was crucial for the success of small businesses in that neighborhood during the summer months.  This was just one of the many issues Brever stated he was interested in tackling for the city.

Serving on City Council is not a new experience for Brever, “My dad was a city councilman in my home town, so I’ve been exposed to this since I was young.” He also reflected that his dad was part of his inspiration, along with former Vice President Joe Biden, for running.

Brever concluded, “I hope [students] know I would do my best for them and that they can always reach out to me. Whether they are going to vote for myself, or write somebody in, they should go vote.”

The Spring Election will take place on April 4, and polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm.