Youth and artists are important to the Tempe community and need to be represented at the city level, said Charles Yuditsky, an ASU undergraduate who plans to run for City Council.
Yuditsky, 35, is a secondary education senior who has lived in Tempe since starting at ASU in 2001.
"I guess I don't really have any experience [in government]," he said. "But I'm plugged into much of the youth and art culture here in the town."
Yuditsky said he was opposed to the use of eminent domain to benefit developers and wants city financial documents to be more accessible to the public.
Local artists have been leaving Tempe, Yuditsky said. He wants to encourage these people to stay.
"Local resident artists shouldn't have to pay for spots in the Tempe arts festival," Yuditsky said.
Yuditsky said he also wants Mill Avenue to be two lanes of traffic each way, or turned into a pedestrian-only area.
Yuditsky said running against more experienced local leaders would be difficult.
Yuditsky said he wants to represent the groups he already feels most connected to -- young professionals and local artists.
Micah Killough, 21, of Tempe, said Yuditsky could be a good addition to Tempe City Council.
Killough added he has been trying to help Yuditsky with his bid for the council by seeking support from people who live in Tempe and helping with Yuditsky's Web site.
"I take a personal interest in him because of his interest in preserving the Ash [Avenue] district in Tempe," Killough said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the only cool neighborhoods left in town."
Yuditsky said he thinks Tempe needs to maintain its eclectic and diverse neighborhoods.
"It's important to have a yuppie city along with a more cutting-edge crowd," he said. "I don't want to see local people getting wiped out."
Yuditsky joins a long list of people running for City Council. Other citizens who have said they will run include ASU student Corey Woods, recent graduate Kevin Bondelli, Mill Avenue Food Critic Dennnis Skolnick, former state senate candidate Jesse Hernandez and Tempe Family YMCA Executive Director Vincent Mirizio. Current City Council members Ben Arrendondo, Pam Goronkin and Len Copple have said they will run for re-election.
There will be three seats open in March's election.
Reach the reporter at emilia.arnold@asu.edu.
