Taking a stance at odds with CCA's platform for increased city services, CCA-endorsed incumbent councillor Katherine Triantifillou recently proposed a two percent cut in the city budget.

"The other side realizes the trend is leaning away from them," said Maddox, who called Triantafillou's proposal "a pre-emptive strike."

Indeed, the smallest realignment could have a major impact on next week's elections, as a handful of votes have often made the difference between the final candidates chosen.

"The shift of 150 votes in the last election would have given non-CCA candidates a majority," said Republican Trumbull.

Slate Voting

Conservative candidates have taken another strategic step to help insure that they pick up a majority of the offices.

Conservatives have historically campaigned as independent candidates while the CCA-endorsed slates have benefited from proportional voting, a complex process whereby voters rank candidates in order of preference and votes are then distributed among the candidates.

Slate voting allows groups to pick up transfer ballots from across the city and places independent candidates at a disadvantage.

But this election marks the christening of the conservative Alliance for Change, a slate which unites the independents in the hopes of gaining more transfer votes.

"The Alliance is coming into its own as a slate," Maddox said."

According to observers, the combination of slate voting and disgruntled voters may tip the scales in favor of alliance-endorsed James J. McSweeney, Jr.

Many feel that the final seat on the council will go either to McSweeney, who fell 47 votes shy of election in 1993, or CCA-endorsed Henrietta A. Davis, who has served on the school committee since 1987.

McSweeney said he expects to benefit from an electorate which is "looking for some creativity and some new ideas."

"I think the whole country is going that way," he said