Duehay, who is on the Phillips Brooks House Association advisory committee, says many students do not realize how much power they wield. "They're a very important part of the constituency," Duehay says.

Duehay says it is important to recognize that Harvard is not compelled to make a payment in lieu of taxes to the city. However, he thinks Harvard should give more money to Cambridge.

If Harvard paid the full tax rate, Cambridge would get $30 million more annually, he says. "I think we should get more money, and I think Harvard could afford it," he says.

Sheila T. Russell first ran for city council eight years ago when then-Mayor Leonard J. Russell died.

But the four-term councillor doesn't live in the shadow of her husband. Instead, the West Cambridge resident devotes her time to helping senior citizens, beautifying neighborhoods and fighting crime.

"I'd like to continue my work with the elderly," Russell says. "I get a kick out of them. They're good people."

Russell, who is endorsed by the Cambridge Alliance for Change, says rent control will be one of the biggest issues of the election.

Russell says she advocates rent control reform, because many people with high incomes are benefiting from the current program.

"I'm a taxpayer and I don't like to subsidize people like the mayor," Russell says. "If poor people need rental subsidies, they should get them--but not anyone else."

The council must also exercise fiscal responsibility by expanding the city's tax base and providing job and business opportunities, Russell says.

And though Russell thinks Harvard should provide the city with a higher payment in lieu of taxes, she says she appreciates the roles the universities play in Cambridge.

"I think that Harvard students do a lot of good for the kids in Cambridge, and they've been good role models," Russell says. "If we didn't have Harvard and MIT, we'd be just another little old city."

Timothy J. Toomey believes in the personal touch.

Toomey, who has served on the city council for four years, says he believes in providing services for his constituents.

"You either cut the red tape of government bureaucracy or point them in the right direction," says Toomey, who is endorsed by the Alliance for Change.