A Q&A before a new West Lafayette City Council member is sworn in

Democrats last week selected Rabita Rajkarnikar to fill a vacancy in West Lafayette City Council District 2. A conversation about where she stands. Plus other notes.

• Support for this edition comes from Greater Lafayette Commerce, presenting its Business Expo on Sept. 17 at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds. For more on the businesses participating and what you’ll find there, click the link below.

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A Q&A BEFORE A NEW WEST LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IS SWORN IN

Rabita Rajkarnikar will be sworn in Tuesday as a West Lafayette City Council member.

Democratic precinct committeemen from the council’s District 2 voted 3-1 in a caucus Wednesday for Rajkarnikar over Katy Bunder to replace Michelle Dennis, making her the second person to fill a vacancy on the nine-member city council in 2025. (Nick Schenkel, retired West Lafayette Public Library director, was selected in District 1 after Laila Veidemanis resigned in June after graduating from Purdue and moving out of the district.)

After her selection, Rajkarnikar, who works at Purdue and lives in New Chauncey Neighborhood, answered questions from BiL.

Question: Why did you nominate yourself to fill the rest of the term vacated by Michelle Dennis? What do you think you’d bring to the position?

Rabita Rajkarnikar: West Lafayette is at a turning point, and District 2 has the opportunity to shape that future. As someone who has worked as a planner and served on the Area Plan Commission and Area Board of Zoning Appeals for the past few years, I understand both the opportunities and the challenges that come with growth. Too often, good projects stall in process, leaving housing needs unmet or infrastructure delayed. With West Lafayette growing so quickly, it’s imperative that we act fast but responsibly. I bring both professional expertise and community experience to the council to translate long-term vision into practical action while ensuring that growth benefits everyone.

Question: What are two things you’d like to see the city council do and how would you get that done?