By Kristie Schiefer
News Assignment Editor
Jan. 1 left sophomore political science major Luke Stewart speechless. The people of Salamanca elected Stewart to serve as their Ward 5 Councilman.
“On election day I was very unsure of how the results were going to turn out,” Stewart said. “I was content that I did my very best campaigning, and when the results came back it was actually kind of a blur. When they told me I won I was in disbelief for a few minutes, I couldn’t even talk. To find out you’re going to represent the city and a majority of people believe in you is an amazing feeling.”
Acting as a city legislator, Stewart works with four other council members on resolutions and budgets for the city.
“The four council members and I vote on city resolutions each meeting and we are also responsible for drafting a city budget every fiscal year,” Stewart said. “We just finished our last workshop on the budget this past week, and there will be a public hearing on the budget before the end of February.”
During his two-year term, which ends Dec. 31, 2014, Stewart said he hopes to secure state funding for Salamanca while representing its citizens.
“My goal is to get Salamanca back on track fiscally and to represent the people of Ward 5 to the best of my abilities,” Stewart said. “A lot of talks are ongoing with the Seneca Nation of Indians and the State of New York over casino revenue funds that were pulled from the city a few years back that really hurt the budget. To get those funds back would bring the city back to full strength.”
Being young and taking on a large responsibility, Stewart said he doesn’t lack support from friends, family and the council.
“My presence on the council is welcomed and appreciated by the other members and I would like to thank them for that,” Stewart said. “I feel very comfortable being there and I am treated no different than anyone. My friends and professors have been very supportive and were very excited for me when they found out I won the election.”
Stewart first dreamed of running to serve as a council member in high school, and jumped at the first opportunity to make that dream a reality.
“It was kind of a perfect storm actually,” Stewart said. “I had thought about running in high school and this was the first opportunity I had to run for an office so I decided to go for it. I want to work in government for my career and this is a great way to get a jump start on that. Internships are fantastic programs but serving as a representative is actually doing the job for real.”
Although Stewart finds himself with less free time, he says his time management skills have improved.
“Going to school and keeping up with council and classwork is definitely a challenge,” Stewart said. “I already discovered I have a lot less free time but it comes down to having good time management, and that’s something I have been able to improve upon my sophomore year.”
Typical days for Stewart lack downtime with a heavy course load and commitment to the City of Salamanca.
“On a typical day, I wake up and get ready for class and commute from Salamanca,” Stewart said. “Once I’m done with classes, I return home to do my homework and readings, then I go over city documents for the upcoming council meetings, which are held the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. I frequently stop by city hall to speak with the mayor and city employees. Some days are busier than others.”
Still early in his term, Stewart is unsure about his future but finds his job delightful.
“I have not yet decided if I will run for re-election when my term is up,” Stewart said. “I know however that I very much enjoy being a part of city government.”
