The two candidates for the position of treasurer would both be assets to the YCC executive board. They are competent and qualified members of the current council — personable and known on campus. However, one offered a clearer vision for the role of the treasurer for next year’s YCC.

For that reason, the News endorses Leigh Hamilton ’15 for treasurer.

Hamilton understands that the broader YCC must have input into the year’s budget before launching into the year. Hamilton’s plan to have YCC members approve a budget before spending commences is a simple and feasible reform that will force the council to prioritize budget items early on. Increasing the transparency of the budget process will allow Yalies to approach their representatives about the council’s priorities.

Hamilton also has tangible proposals to fix and reform the $10K Challenge. Selecting project winners before winter break is a practical solution that will lead to greater accountability during the year.

We admire Eugene Yi’s ’15 commitment to working with a broad range of students and restarting the YCC’s relationship with our University’s president and the New Haven community at large. We hope the YCC executive board will embrace these community-oriented ideas, and that Yi will help implement them as a continued member of the council. But in choosing a YCC treasurer, we defer to the candidate with stronger budgetary proposals.

Executive board members must fulfill their designated duties before they can move on to larger tasks. We have confidence Hamilton will do just that.