Benming “Benny” Zhang is a senior at the College of William and Mary, and a candidate for the City Council of Williamsburg, Virginia. He is only the second student to run as a candidate for the Council. I was able to meet with Mr. Zhang and ask him about his background and policies.

Wallace: What brought you to William and Mary?

Zhang: I was looking for a small to medium sized college, one that had that focus on the undergraduate experience. That was particularly important to me when I was looking at colleges as a high school senior. It was close to Colonial Williamsburg, and I love American history.

Wallace: What made you interested in politics more generally?

Zhang: Public service was an interest of mine since high school, but I have never participated in student government. Throughout my life, I was surrounded by public servants, many whose parents worked in the State Department. This coupled with being a first-generation Asian-American gave me an appreciation for the selfless work that shapes public service. This took hold during my time at the College. My first involvement as a college student was working as an elections officer during the 2012 election. I was later appointed to the Williamsburg Public Housing Advisory Committee my freshman year as well.

Wallace: What spurred your interest in running for city council?

Zhang: I’ve been involved in the city since day one. I have been going to council meetings and participating in internships. What really sparked it was community members who wanted a young person with ideas to be on Council. Only after meeting with people did I get the idea. There are things in this city that I do not see being addressed properly if we do not have a young person on Council. People saw it in me and wanted me to run. I got a more serious view on it talking to business and community leaders, and made the decision at the end of last semester.

Wallace: What are your opinions about the way the current Council is running the city?

Zhang: The current city council has done a remarkable job in sound fiscal policy in the past six years. The city took a hit in 2010 during the recession. The city’s economy is based on tourism, and tourism is based on how well the national economy works. With property values going down, and people not staying overnight on vacation, the city council is taking in less tax money. They need to provide essential services without cutting anything. On that issue, the city has done a good job. However, we need to be bold in investing in our future to ensure a prosperous Williamsburg in the future, that is where I think this current city council is lacking.

Wallace: Your opinions on their policy with William and Mary students?

Zhang: I think that the relationship between the college and community has gotten much better. 2010 was a low point in town-grown relations and what led to the first William and Mary student on the council. We have been moving in the right direction, but there is still a lot more to be done. Tension still exists between students and long-time Williamsburg residents, especially when you talk about housing and student life in the City.

I hope to address the three-person rule [a city ordinance that bans more than three unrelated people from sharing a house] once elected to Council. It’s an unenforceable and unfair law; most people break it and the City knows it. It clearly targets students who are the majority of renters in this city. We should explore solutions that can maintain the quality of our neighborhoods, but also ensure that we are respecting the rights of young people seeking to live in them. That’s why I think that the policy needs to be changed.

Wallace: Do you have any thoughts on the recent assault charges against Mayor Clyde Haulman?

Zhang: What I will say is that it's a troubling incident. I will leave it there, but I hope it will be resolved judiciously. Everybody should feel welcomed to speak up to our city council about issues they see in Williamsburg.

Wallace: Your campaign website refers to “21st century solutions to form a more transparent city council.” What solutions are these?

Zhang: We need to approach a 17th-century city from a 21st-century perspective. Namely, revisiting potentially outdated city codes and regulations. There is a way to move Williamsburg forward while preserving the unique atmosphere that it provides. The only way to do this is to actually talk about the issues though, and I want to start the discussion. One example is actually shaping the basically forgotten Arts District into a great location that is close to downtown for tourists and residents to visit.

Twenty-first century solutions also means employing technology to make participating in Williamsburg much easier. We should make information about planning, the Council’s goals, and city codes more easily accessible online. Basically, no students know about the Goals, Initiatives, and Outcomes (GIO) process that shape our city. Email surveys are another great way to get citizen input, especially students', in GIO planning. We should be employing these tools to make sure that the city is developed as efficiently and inclusively as possible.

Wallace: What forms of student engagement do you plan to encourage?

Zhang: We are beginning to engage campus in regards to the new parking plan. This affects everyone but students are affected in particular. We will be launching a survey; and this is only the beginning. We are important—we are 43 percent of the population. We need to be heard. Something as simple as using online survey infrastructure is a goal. Our budget is based off of the priorities of citizens that speak up. We need to be doing a better job and bringing in student input, like what kinds of shops, restaurants, and things to do around town. This would give a more holistic sense of what the city needs to prioritize.

Wallace: What are your plans in regards to housing?

Zhang: We should have more student housing options off-campus that make it easier for those who don’t get on-campus housing find and pay for a place to live. With more people moving to Williamsburg, there has been a sky rocket in prices and a shortage of viable housing options for students. We need the city council to employ creative zoning and help change restrictive laws, like the three-person rule in order to create a more friendly environment for people who want to live off-campus.

Wallace: What do you intend to do in regards to improving voter turnout?

Zhang: I really want to meet as many voters as possible, student and non-student. I think my message of inclusion and gaining a bigger voice will help bring everyone out to the polls on May 3rd. I think we are going to see more positive messaging, and that messaging is how to get more voters. At the end of the day it is personal engagement and keeping active, getting everyone involved.

Wallace: How would you describe the balance between economic growth and quality of life?

Zhang: First of all, they are not mutually exclusive. We can have a growing Williamsburg and still maintain the quality of life we are known for. Community input on what to build and where to build it is so important and will help us develop smarter and stronger. This will insure that we maintain a clean, calm city while providing the amenities that people want to see in the city.

Wallace: What, to quote your website, “makes a city successful in the 21st century?"

Zhang: I think it’s keeping with the times. What I was referencing in my website was that certain architectural guidelines that are impeding progress in the city. Right now we are entering an ever increasing app-based economy. The state is dealing with AirBnB legislation, which affects localities like us, so we must ask what we want to do with land use in regards to AirBnB. Other cities are also struggling with how to adapt, so it’s not just a Williamsburg problem.

I am open to AirBnB for Williamsburg, but I want to make sure we don’t rush into anything and do what is best for the city and its businesses. These are questions that we as a locality will have to answer in the next few years so we have to keep an open-mind and willingness to change with the times.