Vice Mayor Sam Seidel, who was first elected in 2007, named the improvement of the Cambridge Public School system the “number one issue” of his campaign. He said he is especially concerned with the availability of after-school programs for Cambridge students.
Education also figures largely in the campaign of challenger Neal W. Leavitt ’96, who emphasized the importance of narrowing the achievement gap beginning at a young age.
In regards to the issue of energy efficiency, Councillor Henrietta J. Davis—who was first elected to the Council in 1995—said the Council should continue to push forward initiatives like ensuring the conformity of the city’s new library and its other construction projects to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Other candidates also have suggestions for energy efficiency, such as Leavitt’s idea of building an off-shore wind farm in the outer reaches of Boston Harbor.
The city’s fiscal responsibility is another issue of concern to candidates. Cambridge’s city budget grew by 2 percent this fiscal year from the year before—a growth, according to City Manager Healy, that in part alleviates the $9.7 million reduction in state aid to the city.
Challenger Edward J. Sullivan said that the councillors’ pay is too high and ought to be cut before funding is taken from city projects. Sullivan speciftically mentioned a youth summer program in the Area IV neighborhood that had seen reduction in its hours.
GETTING OUT THE VOTE
Despite lively debate among candidates, trends in voter turnout indicate that there may not be a comparable level of enthusiasm from city residents. In the 2007 municipal election, only 13,721 voters cast ballots, although the city boasted nearly 57,000 registered voters at the time.
Figures detailing the number of Harvard students registered to vote in Cambridge are not available, but several candidates said they hoped that university students would turn out at the polls tomorrow.
In fact, first-time challenger Leland Cheung—a student at both Harvard Kennedy School and the MIT Sloan School of Management—said that his campaign focuses on issues highly relevant to students, such as improving public safety and enhancing dialogue between the city and universities.
Five-time incumbent Marjorie C. Decker said last month that she is concerned about voter turnout, especially since she is conducting a write-in campaign. Though Decker failed to file the paperwork necessary to declare official candidacy, she is distributing stickers bearing her name to allow voters to include her in their rankings of candidates.
Harvard students registered to vote in Cambridge can do so at one of several polling locations tomorrow, depending on their residence.
—Staff writer Sarah J. Howland can be reached at showland@fas.harvard.edu.
CORRECTION
An earlier version of the Nov. 3 news article "City To Vote On New Council" incorrectly stated that James M. Williamson was running for City Council for the first time this year. In fact, Williamson also ran for a Council seat in 2001.