Two individuals from the IU Southeast community – Matt Owen, political science junior and SGA senate chair, and Gregory Phipps, senior lecturer and program coordinator in the Department of Sociology – have been elected for the Jeffersonville and New Albany City Councils.
Owen was elected for the Jeffersonville City Council at large, which represents all districts within the city.
“When I decided to run, I actually filed to run for mayor,” Owen said. “However, at the last minute, I decided that running for council would be a better fit for me at this time, mostly because a part-time position on the council would allow me to play a key part in our city [as it] continues to grow and still have time to finish my degree at IU Southeast.”
While the Jeffersonville City Council does not directly influence the IU Southeast campus, Owen said he hopes his election will help encourage students who are trying to make a difference.
“We have many ambitious students at IU Southeast who are trying to make a difference, and I’m only one,” Owen said. “Our campus has a lot to be proud of in many of its students.”
Owen said he hopes to work on the neighborhood associations in Jeffersonville in order to make them stronger.
“If you can build that organization on a basic neighbor-to-neighbor level, you’ll have a stronger neighborhood,” Owen said. “Strong neighborhoods equal a strong community.”
Phipps was elected as the third district city council representative in the New Albany City Council.
“The incumbent had been in for eight years, and I just felt there was a need for new leadership for the third district,” Phipps said.
Phipps said he would support the idea of better transparency in the city’s government, including having televised city council meetings as well as town forums where citizens would be able to get more involved.
“A lot of times [when] decisions are made, the citizens aren’t really informed when those decisions are going to be made and why they’re made,” Phipps said.
By JENNIFER HARRINGTON
Staff
jeharrin@umail.iu.edu
