The Cambridge City Council meets at 4:30 p.m. today in its fourth attempt within a week to elect a new mayor. The previous three ballots have been dead-locked between the incumbent Edward A. Crane '35, and Councillor Alfred E. Vellucci.

Unless the nine city councillors have reached some type of private agreement since their last meeting Tuesday, chances are that today's session will result in nothing more than another deadlock.

Vellucci Holde Key

The crisis revolves around Vellucci. The independents, who technically hold a 5-4 majority over the Cambridge City Association-backed councillors, are apparently unwilling to support Vellucci with their full five votes.

The outcome, therefore, would seem to depend on a decision by Vellucci to support Crane, as he did in 1960 and 1962, or a change to Vellucci by a CCA councillor.