With warm weather approaching, the season of spring cleaning has begun.

But as the results of county elections show, voters throughout Illinois have decided to do a little spring cleaning of their own.

Incumbents in many cities throughout the state, including Peoria and Rockford, were replaced during Tuesday’s elections, according to an April 7 article in the Chicago Tribune.

This was also apparent in the DeKalb and Sycamore mayoral elections with Frank Van Buer defeating DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow and Ken Mundy replacing Sycamore Mayor John Swedberg.

This action by the public is no doubt indicative of the need for change, but as new terms begin in May, it is important for both mayors to live up to the promises they made during their campaigns.

Equally important will be Van Buer’s ability to maintain a connection to the student population, a key promise he made during his campaign.

Student issues such as parking, placing lighting on Greek Row to make the area safer and improving Garden Road to accommodate buses are all issues that should continue to be addressed when Van Buer begins his term.

Van Buer also said he was supportive of controlled community growth and working to improve not only the quantity, but also the quality of jobs offered by businesses that move into the area.

There is no question that controlling growth is essential for maintaining the quality of life in DeKalb, but it is wrong when growth, especially economic growth, is discouraged in an attempt to make sure it is controlled.

Most importantly, Van Buer promised to restore an honest and open government as a central theme in his campaign. As part of this promise, he said he will work to get people involved in local government.

One can only hope he keeps this promise, and others, by actively seeking student ideas.