Dear newly-elected City Council,

Congrats on your victory in the Ames City Council election. Hopefully your election to this office represents a majority of your constituents and not simply a plurality. And if that can’t be true, may your actions as a council member benefit all of your constituents and not just those who voted for you.

Among the many challenges you face as a council member, the Iowa State Daily Editorial Board would like to highlight three issues that we believe are important for you to address.

First and foremost, we implore you as a council to build upon past efforts to increase the level of safety present in Ames at all hours of the day. Even before Celia Barquín Arozamena’s murder last year, Ames has been plagued by random acts of violence. 

As a college town with many young adults out late at night, safety should be the utmost priority of the Ames City Council. By making safe transportation even more accessible and funding further efforts to make Ames a safe place to walk alone at night, you can radically change the current perception of our city.

The Iowa State Daily Editorial Board also recognizes that housing is an important issue in Ames, especially to many Iowa State University students who are somewhat at the mercy of landlords. 

To the victor of the Ward 4 election specifically, your constituency has a high percentage of temporary college students who rely on your action to protect them. It is your duty to listen to and address the concerns of your constituents, no matter the circumstances.

Finally, the Iowa State Daily Editorial Board challenges the Ames City Council to meet the ambitious goal of making Ames a carbon-neutral city. 

As Iowans, we have access to clean air and water that many people in more urban and suburban areas don’t have. Many of us have grown up with these privileges and sometimes take them for granted. Don’t. 

Be ambitious in your goals to make Ames a greener city. Without a doubt, a carbon-neutral city will be hard to achieve, but don’t let that stop you. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, but the long term financial and health benefits are worth the initial effort.

Ames City Council: Safety, housing and carbon can be the defining issues of your terms. Don’t let these items distract you from keeping Ames a vibrant city with much economic opportunity. Instead, use them to your advantage to mold Ames into a better version of itself.