Gloucester voters may not have a choice of candidates for the mayor's race that would normally top the ballot in tomorrow's city elections. And voters in four of the city's five wards won't see a contested race for their local City Council representative.
Yet there are a lot of key choices to be made when city residents decide the makeup of the next City Council and School Committee, and determine the scope of any future searches for a permanent police chief.
With that in mind, here are the Times endorsements on the even of Gloucester's Election 2009:
COUNCIL-AT-LARGE: The decision by Ward 1 Councilor Jason Grow to step up and seek at at-large seat, and the entrance of retired City Clerk Robert Whynott has made this a tight race among five high-profile candidates for the four at-large slots — with three current councilors-at-large, while Sharon George chose not to seek re-election.
Council President Bruce Tobey has shown effective council leadership and willingness to look toward reform on many issues, such as revising the role of Civil Service for the public safety chiefs. Grow, meanwhile, has already carved out an important citywide role regarding the Civil Service changes and a number of school issues. And Romeo Theken has continued to effectively work for constituents, helping to bring their "voices" to the table. All of them deserve votes for re-election.
That leaves voters a choice between incumbent Joseph Ciolino and challenger Robert Whynott.
Whynott's experience as a city clerk and a past councilor makes him a strong candidate. His willingness to open up the public safety hiring process while supporting Civil Service shows a willingness for reform. Yet Ciolino is more than an at-large councilor; as a downtown shop owner, he has the business community as a constituency, and that's a key perspective. Despite his many strengths, it's not clear Whynott's made the case for that change.
Endorsements: Ciolino, Grow, Tobey, Romeo Theken.
WARD 2 COUNCIL: The Ward 2 race has proved a classic local-outsider battle, with Roger Hussey bringing ideas from his diverse career, and Ann Frontiero Mulcahey touting her local background and knowledge. But Frontiero Mulcahey deserves to get this nod not just because of her local ties, but due to her progressive vision for an I-4, C-2 hotel and a commitment to boost public safety.
Endorsement: Frontiero Mulcahey.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE: The seven-candidate School Committee race may give voters six choices, but one overrides all others: Does the committee need change? The answer is "yes."
Roger Garberg and Kathleen Clancy would bring new perspectives to a committee facing a number of challenges. Garberg, local head of Stand For Children, and Clancy, former vice president/finance with a Boston-based communications company, should help the committee explore fresh funding sources and options with an eye toward upgrading in-classroom goals.
As to the incumbents, Valerie Gilman and Melissa Joy Texieira stand out and clearly deserve voters' support. Gilman has worked to push the district forward toward a multi-age classroom format, among other steps. Teixeira has also been an important independent voice, notably in recognizing the city's options in vo-tech education.
We won't endorse which incumbent should be left out, and all deserve kudos for their service. But these four candidates would ensure a board poised for challenges Gloucester schools face — and must embrace.
Endorsements: Clancy, Garberg, Gilman, Teixeira.
CIVIL SERVICE: Pulling the police chief's post out from under Civil Service limitations — including an absurd provision that the chief be chosen from within the department — isn't a slap at interim Chief Michael Lane, who would be a top candidate in any search. It only ensures the city, in the future, could consider or hire a strong outside candidate with new ideas and even chief's experience. It's a change long overdue.
Endorsement: "Yes" — Remove from Civil Service.
MAYOR'S RACE: With no opponent, Mayor Carolyn Kirk has said even she'll have her eye on "blanks" cast in the mayor's race tomorrow, and some residents have suggested leaving the mayor's line blank as a protest in the absence of opposition. Kirk deserves better than that. Despite some missteps — notably in crisis management around the teen pregnancies and the recent drinking water saga — Kirk has worked toward spending reform and made the kinds of hard choices a chief executive has to make. Even before George's withdrawal, Kirk made a clear case for a second term.
