A few months ago, city liberals were hopeful about the elections held this week. They might, they thought, wind up in firm control of the city government, no longer dependent on the swing vote of Alfred E. Vellucci for the maintenance of programs like rent control.

But Tuesday's election apparent'v dashed those hopes--though the counting is nowhere near over, it appears the city council will remain split 4-4-1 with Vellucci in the middle.

And worse news may be in store for the liberals on the school committee. Very early returns show progressive Cambridge Civic Association (CCA) candidates will have to fight to hold the four seats on the seven-member board that they won two years ago.

And even if they hang onto those four seats, they likely will not get the fifth vote necessary under law to fire teachers.

The mayor, chosen by the councilors from among their number, is the final member of the school committee--two years ago, Francis H. Duehay '55 became mayor after he and fellow liberals agreed to make conservative Leonard J. Russell vice-mayor.

It is a deal Russell is unlikely to repeat, since Duehay's the fifth vote allowed the school committee to overrule the seniority provision of the teachers' contracts in an effort to retain minority teachers in the wake of Proposition 2 1/2.

Walter Sullivan, as is his custom, collected the most votes in the fight for city council, finishing more than 450 votes ahead of the leading liberal vote-getter, David Sullivan.

All the rest of the incumbents appear headed for victory, and Daniel F. Clinton, a former councilor, will replace Kevin Crane '71 who did not run for re-election.

The only possible fight is for the ninth council seat; though she appears to have enough votes, incumbent Sandra Graham could conceivably be ousted by challengers Wendy Abt or Alice Wolf.