The City Council's Summer of Discontent

IN A SUMMER of discontent that rivaled a play by Bockett or a film by Fellini with its juxtaposition of tragedy and force, the Cambridge City Council has finally disposed of the City Manager issue by deciding to do nothing at all.

After nine months of constant argument, bitter accusations, facial innuendo and political hyperbole--generated by the fight over the selection of a new City Manager--the Council last Monday night gave incumbent John H. Corcoran a vote of confidence.

To those who have followed the struggle since it began n January, this ending is not a great surprise.

But for the people of Cambridge, who last November elected a Council majority of five candidates endorsed by the Cambridge Civic Associations and pledged to a liberal platform whose first priority was the replacement of Corcoran by a more innovative Manager, it is a stupid and damaging blow.

The situation was a stalemate when most students left the City in June. Four of the CCA endorsed liberals on the Council--Mayor Barbara Ackermann. Robert P. Moncreiff, Francis H. Duehay '55 alid Saundra Graham--supported Howard C. (Neil) Peterson, former City Administrator of New Brunswick, N.J.

The fifth CCA councillor, Henry F. Owens III, continued to hold out 'for James Johnson, the black Deputy City Manager of Kansas City, Mo., even though a panel of community leaders had twice expressed their preference for Peterson over any other candidate for City Manager.

Owens insisted that Peterson, 28, was too young and the experienced for the job. The other CCA councillors countered by accusing Owens, who is black of backing Johnson Principally because of his color. Graham, who is also black, originally supported both Peterson and Johnson as a welcome alternative to Corcoran.

Since the four independent councillors favored the retention of Corcoran, there was no majority for a new City Manager.

A capsulization of the developments over the summer follows:

July 6--Owens apparently relents and casts the deciding vote as the Council, by a 5-4 margin, registers its intention to offer the position of City Manager to Peterson. However, the Council does not resolve the question of Corcoran's removal.

July 14--Owens again joins the majority in another 5-4 vote as the Council registers its intention to appoint Peterson the new City Manager on July 24, conditional upon receipt of Corcoran's resignation.

July 17--Corcoran issues a statement saying he will not make a decision on resigning until the Council takes "final action" on his replacement. In January, Corcoran said he would resign as soon as the Council agreed upon his successor.

Speculation around City Hall suggests that Corcoran is now willing to fight for his job. To five Corcoran, the Council would first have to suspend him and then hold a public hearing on the reasons for the action, followed by a second Council vote.

July 20--Independent Councillor Thomas Danehy mays he will go to court to block Peterson's appointment. Citing City Charter wording that requires the City Manager to be appointed on the basis of "administrative and executive qualifications only," Danehy noted that Peterson's experience consisted of only 16 months as City Administrator of New Brunswick, N.J.

July 24--In perhaps the most dramatic Council session of the year, Owens joins with the independents in a 5-4 vote to appoint Johnson after removing Corcoran.

The Council also tables a motion appointing Peterson contingent on Corcoran's removal, and fails to take action on a motion to dismiss Corcoran outright.

The previously passed motion appointing Peterson contingent on Corcoran's resignation expired, at midnight when Corcoran refused to resign. Thus the independents have successfully blocked Peterson.

The meeting is repeatedly hampered because of lack of advice on the legality of the proceedings. City Solicitor Philip J. Cronin '53, who had been informed of the meeting, was "out on a boat" according to Danehy.

July 26--Mayor Ackermann accuses five City Council members--Owens and the four independents--of playing games and holding the city up to ridicule," after the five vote to adjourn the Council within 30 minutes for the second consecutive night."

Owens says he will not attend any Council meetings where Cronin is not present.

"We conduct most of our meetings without the City Solicitor." Ackermann responds. "It seems to me this group is using Bobby Fisher tactics with Bobby Fisher's brains."

Cronin is currently on his one week annual vacation sailing of the coast of Maine. His two assistants also say they were unavailable to attend the Council meetings.

August 2--The five CCA endorsed councillors pass a preliminary motion to dismiss Corcoran, but for of the five say they will not vote for final removal if Corcoran's successor appears to be Johnson.

"We have no intention of voting for Mr. Johnson for City Manager or of being parties to the final removal of John Corcoran so that Mr Johnson can be voted in by others," says a statement issued by Ackermann,. Duehay, Graham and Moncreiff.

"Peterson is the consensus candidate of the reform movement, Moncreiff says. "Owens must show he is a member of the team."

"I am not a member of that team Owens answers.

Prior to the manager debate, the Council quizzes Cronin on his absence from the previous week's Council hearings.

"It's none of your business when I got back from vacation," the $19,000 a year. Solicitor tells Owens.

August 3--Cronin resigns his post as City Solicitor, which he had held since February, 1968.

Although Corcoran does not release the letter of resignation or make any statement about it, there is speculation that Cronin was angry at the criticism he received for failing to attend several Council meetings, which Owens and the independent councillors then voted to adjourn.

August 9--Mayor Ackermann announces a month-long moratorium announces a month-long moratorium on the City Manager debate, saying in a prepared statement that she will call no more special meetings of the Council until the five CCA councillors agree on a candidate.

"I won't make any agreement on a successor until we remove Corcoran," Owens tells the Cambridge Chronicle. "Then let's elect a man who has five votes."

A MONTH WENT BY and at the beginning of the Council session on September 11, Ackermann distributed copies of a letter of withdrawal received from Peterson. The City Clerk read the letter to seven councillors--Owens had not arrived--and many interested spectators.

"Needless to say, the past months have been difficult and trying not only for me and my family, but also, I'm sure, for you and the citizens of Cambridge," Peterson wrote. "I hope that in the days ahead the City can resolve the issue of the City Managership.

With this news the ballgame was over.

Moncreiff asked for a suspension of the rules so that the Council could immediately deal' with the matter of the City Manager. The rules were suspended and Duehay explained that his forthcoming vote, on a motion by Danehy urging of the Council's vote to fire Corcoran on August 2, is not an easy one.

"Although John Corcoran was not my first choice, I cannot stand by and ask the minority members and people of Cambridge to undergo the many trials of a new search, I will not participate any further in forcing the Administration of this City to act under the threat of dismissal," Duehey said.

Moncreiff also gave his reasons for ending the battle: "There is a great deal to be said for continuity, for not changing the City Manager every two years, I hope he (Corcoran) will to conduct himself that his removed will not be an home in the next elections.

But Graham refused is join the surrender, saying simply, "I ran on a pledge to replace John Corcoran... James Johnson, a qualified candidate, it still available...Corcoran has shown in the past that he cannot lead the city, and I don't think he can do so in the future, that I vote no to reconsider."

The vote to reconsider the August 2 vote firing Corcoran is passed 7-1 with Grahan voting no and Owens still absent.

Councillor Walter, J. Sullivan one of the four independents who had watched the long struggle ln fascination, introduced a motion giving City Manager Corcoran a vote of confidence. It was passed by the same margin 7-1.

About 30 minutes later Owens entered the Council chamber. he said he was late because he had been waiting for a telephone call from Johnson in Kansas City.

"Johnson told me he was available to be City Manager if the Council wished it, and that's why I wish to be recorded as voting against" Corcoran, because I still feel that Johnson is the best qualified man," Owens said.

SO THE LONG NIGHT is over and the City Council will now have to work with Corcoran to solve Cambridge's many pressing problems.

There is no point in assessing blame except to provide a lesson for the future. In this context it is difficult to justify Owens's behavior. He broke his public promise to follow the decision of the panel of community leaders, who endorsed Peterson over Johnson.

Some observes thought Owens would relent when Aflorence Cheatham, a black, was designated Cambridge Superintendent of Schools. Apparently, Owens's wigh to humiliate the four other CCA endorsed councillors was deeper than racial bias.

And the four other "liberal" councillors must also share the blame. Why did they sell Owens he could go find another qualified black candidate back in March when is own had dropped out and Peterson was the clear choice of the citizens' panel?

Or on the other hand, why didn't Ackermann, Duehay, Graham and Moncreiff have two or three compromise condidates of their own in back of Peterson, so fall back on in case something prevented Peterson's appointment?

Asked for their reactions to the controversy, the five CCA councillors were subdued.

Mayor Ackermann: "I think it's highly unfortunate. Peterson would have made a tremendous difference to the City. But the longer it dragged on, the harder it would have been for him to work...Henry Owens has made it very clear that he does not consider himself part of a team.

"Maybe it's a good thing we don't have a new City Manager since we don't have the support for him."

Duehay: "I'm not very impressed with this one councillor's (Owens's) ability. Obviously it does affect the ability of five councillors to come in with things prepared and thought out. I'm very disappointed about things."

Graham: "I'm just numb. After you try to get a City Manager which the people picked...you feel pretty depressed."

Moncreiff: "I think it's time to close the book on it...The ability of people to work together is obviously hampered."

Owens: "Of the leading candidates, when one withdraws, the other is the logical choice. To me the most qualified person was Johnson. In the long run the people of Cambridge are the losers."

And what about the man at the center of the storm, where all is calm--John H. Corcoran. Asked last week if he expected back in November that he would still be City Manager now, Corcoran replied, "Well, hope springs eternal. You just figure it doesn't happen to you. It happens to other people, but not to you.