CORRECTION APPENDED

Cambridge voters will elect nine City Councillors tomorrow from a field of 21 hopefuls who put forth their visions for a more efficient and responsive city government in interviews with The Crimson last week.

As the nine-member legislative body of Cambridge, the Council votes on city ordinances and also hires the City Manager, the city’s chief executive. In January, the councillors will choose one of their number to serve as mayor.

In the two years that have elapsed since the last election for City Council members, Cambridge has worked to confront an ongoing achievement gap in its public schools and a continuing discrimination lawsuit involving the city manager, as well as the local fallout of the national economic crisis.

In light of these issues, the candidates for the city councillor posts—including several first-time candidates and all current incumbents—have been proposing suggestions to improve Cambridge schools, energy use, city finances, and city administration.

CHALLENGING THE MANAGER

Many of the challengers for the councillor positions said they felt compelled to enter the campaign after feeling dissatisfied with the responsiveness of the Council and the amount of power exercised by City Manager Robert W. Healy.

Controversy has swirled around Healy since a May 2008 ruling ordered the city to pay Malvina Monteiro, a former city employee, $4.5 million. Monteiro, who had filed an earlier discrimination complaint against Healy, claimed that he had her fired in 2003 in retaliation. Healy has continued to fight the decision despite an unsuccessful appeal in April.

Challenger Sylvia P. Glick said she perceived a lack of attention from councillors and city residents to the amount that the legal battle is costing the city.

“Why is it that most of the people in Cambridge do not know that the city is controlled by an un-elected city manager who has a $4.5 million jury verdict against him?” Glick said.

In May, the Council considered but did not pass an effort to prevent Healy’s use of city funds to further appeal the 2008 ruling.

Healy, who has been in office for 28 years, has garnered the support of most councillors and has presided over the maintenance of the city’s AAA bond rating. In January, his contract was renewed for another three years by a nearly unanimous vote, in which Councillor Craig A. Kelley was the only one to dissent.

“Too often, almost all of the current City Council [members] do not pay attention to the issues,” said James Williamson, a second-time challenger who expressed pessimism about his election chances but said he hopes to draw attention to the Council’s ineffectiveness.

CONTINUING CONCERNS

Candidates for Council expressed concern regarding not only the lawsuit, but also enduring issues such as school performance, energy efficiency, and economic stability of the city.