Council Readies for Election

Adjourning only 45 minutes after the opening gavel, city council members thanked their supporters and wished each other success in today's election.

spoke in turn about their campaigns, agreeing that this year's race has been difficult.

"This has been the hardest election that I can remember," said Vice Mayor Alice K. Wolf, who has served nine terms on the council.

Wolf said the unusually high number of candidates vying for the nine council positions--28 will appear on today's ballot--made the campaign a particularly arduous one.

Because three incumbents are not seeking re-election, a large number of candidates are seeking council spots, said Theresa S. Neighbor, executive director of the Election Commission, in an interview yesterday. Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci and Councillors Saundra M. Graham and David E. Sullivan will not return to the council next year.

The fate of the remaining six incumbents will be decided in the election booths today.

Most councillors kept their concluding remarks brief, although Councillor Thomas W. Danehy took advantage of the occasion to give more extensive comments, detailing the council's past accomplishments and appealing to voters to return the incumbents to office.

"Cambridge need a seasoned city council--not grandstanding, self promoting, political rookies," Danehy said.

On a lighter note, Danehy praised the outgoing Vellucci, who is seeking election to the School Board today after 34 years on the council.

"Your seat will be filled," he told the mayor, "but not replaced."

"Their gain will be our loss," Danehy said, saying he thought Vellucci would be successful in his election bid.

In other business, the council discussed the upcoming budget debate in the Massachusetts Legislature. Vellucci said he was concerned about cuts in human services.

Tax Package

The council must be cautious and watchful even if a tax package is passed to prevent the cuts, Vellucci said. He warned that added revenue from the tax packages could be used for other purposes, citing a case several years ago in which gas taxes were raised by five cents per gallon with no corresponding improvement in state infrastructure.

And Wolf said that "we have to be very cautious" on any new tax package. The council subsequently voted to send the city manager to the legislative budget hearings.

The council also declared next week as Cambridge Arts Week and as Hunger/Homeless Action Week.