Standoff Continues in Mayoral Race

It may not be as bad as the Congressional gridlock, but Cambridge is facing its own standoff as the City Council, which is responsible for choosing a mayor, has remained at an impasse for more than a month.

Cambridge has had to function without a mayor since Jan. 1, its longest deadlock since 1984, and city residents are getting restless.

"Who knows how long this will last?" asks Cambridge resident Gretna J. Bohn-Hayden.

Most of the mayoral votes cast in the past few weeks have resulted in 4-4-1 ties, with Francis H. Duehay '55 and Sheila T. Russell garnering four votes apiece and outgoing mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 obtaining the remaining one.

The mayoral standoff is a result of deadlock between the Cambridge Civic Association (CCA) and the Alliance for Progress (the Independents). Each group comprises four members who cast their ballots for only those with "party" backing.

The CCA is made up of Duehay, Kathleen L. Born, Henrietta J. Davis and Katherine Triantafillou while the Alliance consists of Russell, Anthony D. Galluccio, Michael A. Sullivan and Timothy J. Toomey Jr. The CCA backs Duehay while the Alliance supports Russell.

Reeves, formerly a member of the CCA, broke with that party in 1994 to claim a second term as mayor with the Independents. Described by others as fiercely determined to win a third consecutive term as mayor, Reeves has cast the tie-breaking vote for himself.

In recent votes, other candidates have been named on the ballot, but no one has been able to muster the five votes necessary to win.

Cambridge's mayor, who heads the City Council and the School Committee for a two-year period, must be elected by a majority of the nine-member council.

Politics or Business as Usual?

Most councillors and Cambridge residents interviewed attribute the stalemate to partisan struggles.

Davis says she believes the mayoral standoff exists because of each councillor's loyalty to his or her party alliance.

In accord with her "party" alliance, Davis says she supports Duehay.

Cambridge residents agree that the partisan struggle is holding up the decision on a new mayor.

"Reeves keeps on voting for himself [because he] wants it his way, but the CCA wants it their way and the Independents want it their way," Bohn-Hayden says.

Bohn-Hayden says she believes that "Duehay should get it because he's level-headed, not radical."

But others believe there is nothing unusual about this year's mayoral standoff.

Four-time mayor Alfred E. Vellucci says the selection process has taken "as long as 14 months," although he adds that they did not occur in any of his terms.

Vellucci says the selection of Cambridge's mayor is typically a long and complicated process and that no stigma should be attached to voting for oneself, as Reeves is doing.

"Many times I voted for myself and [the other council members] got tired of me and [would] throw four votes my way," says Vellucci.

Does It Matter?

City Council members object to the notion that Cambridge is a city divided, emphasizing that the lack of a mayor is not cause for crisis.

"Don't read too much into it," Born says of the current situation. "Based upon the fact that we haven't elected a mayor [yet] does not mean that this city's divided."

"No one at either side is prepared to make a major concession at this point, [but] that can't go on forever," she adds.

Triantafillou attributes this delay to amiable differences which could be overcome with time.

"People are just having a hard time deciding who to be mayor, and no councillor has a majority right now," she says.

Deuhay, who is currently serving as acting mayor, chairing City Council and School Committee meetings, emphasizes that elected officials are still taking care of basic city business.

"We're at the moment divided over opinions," Deuhay says. "It doesn't mean we're divided as a city."

"I'm acting mayor," he adds. "The mayor's job is being done. The longer this goes on, the more regrettable it will be, [but] basic [city] decisions are being made."

The key issues that Deuhay or a new mayor will have to deal with this coming year include taxes, education, affordable housing and approval of the city budget.

But some residents are concerned that the lack of a mayor will impede the flow of city decisions.

"[The lack of a mayor] is really rather frustrating because it's holding things up on the School Committee," Bohn-Hayden says.

"It's a scary situation," she adds. "I'm surprised that everything's so middle of the road."

Cambridge committees, whose chairs are usually appointed by the mayor, have seen their activities stalled by the standoff, according to the Cambridge Chronicle.

And other residents are concerned with image problems that not having a mayor yields for Cambridge.

Although perturbed by the council's indecision, Cambridge resident Lynne A. Molnar says she is most upset about the stalemate because of the image problems it has inflicted upon the city.

"The controversy doesn't make us look too [good]," she says. "It looks like the City Council suffers from in-house controversy."

"As a Cambridge resident, I hope they settle it soon," Molnar says, "so they can preserve Cambridge's image."

And others believe settling the dispute now will be best for the city in the long run.

Citing the "unusually long" selection process, E. Denise Summers says, "I think the city is not doing all that it can in terms of [resolving] uncertainty [for the city's residents]. It would serve the city well for the city councillors to decide this matter soon so we can go on to other things."

Time for Change

Many councillors say they believe that Reeves has had his chance and that it is now time for someone else to become mayor.

"Reeves did a good job, but he had two chances in a row and he really needs to stand back and let someone else have a chance," Russell told The Crimson earlier this month.

Triantafillou explains simply, "People are just looking for a change."

Born also says she believes that there is more than one person who could lead the city.

"There are many people who could fill [Reeves' former] role," she says.

Duehay, too, cites the need for change that he believes many city councillors support.

"I think that what happened is that there are nine people on the City Council," Deuhay says. "I think that all of them want to be mayor at one time or another and someone serving twice prevents them from [enjoying] this opportunity."

Deuhay says all the councillors, and not just Reeves, have the leadership skills to head the City Council and the School Committee.

"All nine are elected and I think each person would bring different leadership skills and abilities [to the position]," Deuhay says. "People have different qualifications. [Reeves] is not the only one."

Other Candidates

Deuhay, who has served 13 two-year terms, emphasizes his experience as the main reason why he should be chosen mayor.

He says he was an elected member of the School Committee and has served as mayor twice before.

Deuhay also cites his experience in teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

"I think I'm very well qualified," Deuhay says, and then adds quickly, "Not to demean the qualifications of other candidates."

Russell, who could not be reached for comment, has emphasized her experience and energy in previous interviews.

Russell served as vice mayor of the City Council under Reeves.

Although Reeves' chances of election seem slim and the Cambridge Chronicle reports that six councillors have said they will not vote for him, Reeves is not giving up just yet.

"They treat the mayor of Cambridge as a symbolic position, but the truth of the matter is that today, the chairing of a school committee could never be ceremonial," Reeves said of his fellow councillors in a Cambridge Chronicle article earlier this month.

Citing the fact that under his leadership more students are taking algebra and have access to science courses, Reeves said, "I'm very interested in ensuring that we do not fail our children."

And Reeves, who was elected with the most votes out of the 18 candidates running for the council, has the support of a large number of Cambridge residents.

John R. Clifford, owner of the Green Street Grill and a Cambridge resident himself, says he believes that Reeves can do no wrong.

"He has the leadership abilities to bring Cambridge forward [and] he knows how to lead the Cambridge schools," Clifford says unabashedly.

"The school systems in Cambridge are over 50 percent minority, so I think the person leading it should be a minority," Clifford says.

He says he believes that Reeves "has a lot of unfinished business" and that "[the council] should put their personalities aside and think about what's best for the city."

Resolution?

Davis optimistically predicts the resolution of the mayoral issue within "another few weeks."

"We're stuck because one [councillor] keeps on trying to vote for himself, [but] we're talking to each other now [and in the midst] of high-level negotiations," Davis says.

Sullivan also says he believes that time will supersede political differences. He says that while most councillors were influenced by their party alliances "at the outset," they are beginning to attain progress in "the meeting of the minds, a process which is going on right now."

Sullivan describes the "meeting of the minds" as "individual councillors talking to each other and engaging in conversation."

But some Cambridge residents will hear none of it.

"I wish they would just pick someone," says Summers.

Alternatives

Amidst the brouhaha over the mayoral selection process, some say they believe the position of mayor is really not that important.

"I believe the status quo will continue," says Cantabrigian Robert J. La Tremouille. "The CCA will obviously be happy because Duehay, their pick, is the acting mayor; and the Independents will be happy because they didn't have to vote for him [and give up their principle]."

There has also been talk of reviving all the committees until a new mayor is elected, the Cambridge Chronicle reports. The new mayor would then appoint new chairs, or simply re-appoint the old ones.

"[Yet], I think there's a need for a mayor," Triantifillou says. "People would like to get on with life. [We would all] like to have it concluded soon."Crimson File PhotoCambridge City Hall