London just had an exciting municipal election.

I just used “exciting” and “election” in the same sentence!

Really though, if you haven't been following, you've missed out on quite a race. The city of London has decided not to renew its contract with its longest serving mayor Anne Marie DeCiccio-Best, and move in a new direction with newly elected Joe Fontana, a man promising change for London. The race was so close, with a difference of a few points between first and second place.

Fanshawe's ward - Ward 3 — also saw change. Bernie McDonald decided not to seek re-election so the seat was open to many challengers. Personally, I found that relieving as McDonald was not exactly a friend or an advocate for students. Our new councilor is Joe Swan, and having spoken with him at FSU's Ward 3 candidates' forum, I am confident this man will get proven results for Fanshawe students.

We will be bringing some student issues forward to our new municipal government with the hopes that this new direction will be more inclusive of student needs. In particular, I will try to get a student seat on the LTC commission with the end goal of getting additional service hours at night.

We will also try to work closely with the city to have a say in the development of the Highbury corner. This is the corner of Highbury and Oxford where the soccer fields are currently sitting. The land is up for development, and the FSU wants a say on how that land is developed. Ideally, we would like to see some high-rise apartments so that students can have better housing close to the college.

We will also commit to increase the voter turnout in this ward. Turnout was very low on our part, and that needs to change. We believe the city should have had a polling station here on campus (not just for advance voting), and we will work to get that here in four years time.

If there is anything else that you believe the FSU should be advocating for on a local level, let me know.

This is an exciting time for the city of London and you all have the opportunity to experience the benefits of the democratic process. The city voted for change, and that's hopefully what we will see in the coming years.

If you missed the boat, don't forget that we will be voting provincially in just one short year. Start paying attention to the issues and informing yourself of the candidates and party promises. I think we'll see another close and exciting election soon.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.