October 22, 2003

 

Mayoral candidates outline their goals

By KATE SPINNER

Staff Writer


NEWBURYPORT -- Tonight Mayor Alan Lavender and his challenger for re-election, Mary Anne Clancy, will debate issues facing the city in an attempt to give the community a glimpse of where they stand and which candidate is best suited to tackle the duties of mayor for the next two years. The election is Nov. 4.

While Lavender, who is wrapping up his first, two-year term, is running on his record of accomplishment over the past two years, his opponent, Clancy, is challenging his effectiveness as a leader.

Both candidates tonight will answer specific questions posed by moderator John Macone, editor of The Daily News. Opportunities for rebuttal and opportunities for candidates to ask questions of each other are expected.

The debate, which will take place in the Newburyport High School auditorium at 7 p.m., was organized by the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Newburyport Adult Education.

Here is an overview of how the two candidates feel about some of the issues facing the city and how they view themselves as leaders.

Alan Lavender

During his first two years in office, incumbent Mayor Alan Lavender said he has proven that he is an effective leader.

Over the next two years, Lavender said he hopes to continue his leadership by focusing on the resolution of such issues as the Plum Island water and sewer project, planning for a new elementary school in the West End and the construction of a downtown parking garage.

Lavender said his ability to work with people will help him achieve his goals in the coming years. The same set of skills helped him accomplish the projects he set out to do two years ago, he said.

"Starting with the average person on the street, and then city workers and department heads, our state representatives, and our governor, and lieutenant governor, I get along very well with all those people," said Lavender. "That's what getting things done is all about, working with different people."

Pointing to the repaving of High Street, the innovative development and historic restorations beside the former St. Louis deGonzague church on Federal Street, the Bartlet Mall restoration, the boardwalk renovation and the city's sound financial position, Lavender said he has been steering the city in the right direction.

Lavender also said the legal hurdles to the Plum Island water and sewer project are almost over. One more appeal needs to be settled and the city and the town of Newbury can put the project out to bid for construction.

He says it's his ability to work with people, obtain state grants for projects like High Street, and see tasks through to completion that make him a good mayor.

In addition to his rapport with state officials, Lavender said he works well with the city councilors and the police department.

Under his watch, Lavender said, the Police Department is nearing accreditation and has implemented over 70 percent of the recommendations outlined in a management study performed three years ago.

As mayor, Lavender oversees the Police Department, but he said a clear separation between the department and the mayor's office is necessary.

"You can't have politics running the Police Department," said Lavender.

Lavender said that although the City Council has not always readily supported his decisions, including his choices for police promotions, he maintains a good working relationship with the councilors.

"I get along well with them as a whole, but we've had some disagreement on particular issues," said Lavender.

One of those issues is the proposed parking garage. Lavender brought forward a plan for a $6.6 million garage last year, but the council refused to authorize borrowing for the project. The city's funding of $1.6 million of the project would have released a $5 million grant that was promised by the state, Lavender has said.

Lavender said parking remains an important issue. If he continues as mayor, he said he will bring the parking garage to the council for funding again, if the three properties at the corner of Titcomb and Merrimac streets are all still available.

Lavender said it's also time to plan for a new elementary school in the West End, so that when state money is available, the city will be ready to apply. State reimbursements for school construction projects have been frozen until 2006, Lavender said. He said he would not support building a school until state funding becomes available.

Lack of building funds should not stop the city from planning, Lavender said. He said the city is facing serious overcrowding in the elementary schools.

"I think it's a serious priority and that's why we added the temporary classrooms to the Bresnahan School," said Lavender. "Practically, we can't build a new school without state assistance."

While Lavender said the city faces big issues, the job of mayor is made up of a lot little things, such as repairing the City Hall roof.

"Everybody thinks this job is all the big picture, all the major items," said Lavender. "There are a few of those things, but mostly it's just small issues and you try to anticipate what's needed, rather than react after something happens."

Mary Anne Clancy

The city may be in great financial health and High Street may be paved, but Mary Anne Clancy said the present mayor's leadership has little to do with those accomplishments.

Clancy said she can provide better leadership to keep the city moving forward for a longer period of time.

"The city is moving along despite the fact that I don't believe the city has had a strong leader," said Clancy. "The city is in good fiscal health because of actions of a previous administration as well as the City Council, not because of his specific actions. But that can't go on forever."

In the present economic climate, leadership is critical to seeing major projects through, like the Plum Island water and sewer project, a downtown parking garage, and a new elementary school in the West End. She said Lavender has made a few blunders during his term that indicate his leadership skills are wanting.

Clancy said Lavender should have been able to get the City Council support necessary to borrow the $1.6 million needed to obtain a $5 million grant from the state for a parking garage downtown. She said he should have implemented the Community Preservation Act surcharge last fiscal year when it was passed, and she said he shouldn't have given city department heads such high pay raises this year.

Clancy also said the Newburyport High School renovation should have been managed better, that public perception of unrest in the Police Department should have been resolved by now, and key positions, such as city planner and city auditor, were left vacant for far too long in City Hall.

"I can bring a sense of leadership and vision to the mayor's office," said Clancy. "I believe the city is crying out for leadership."

The key to effective leadership is communication and planning said Clancy. She said she will be able to communicate with and work with the City Council and the community.

"The council needs to understand where their mayor is going," Clancy said. "Communication should be regular and ongoing with the City Council. I would make my position very clear."

One issue that Clancy said she views as serious is overcrowding in the elementary schools.

"The amount of development the city has allowed in the West End dictates the amount of students we will have in the West End," said Clancy. She said the city needs to plan for the future by designing a solution to overcrowding whether it is building a new school or adding a building at the Bresnahan School.

She said the city needs a plan, a price quote, and a community that is educated and supportive of the plans.

Clancy also said the community needs to be better educated about the Plum Island water and sewer project, which she said she supports as long as the city provides close oversight.

"I believe that this project is going to go forward. That said, the city has a keen responsibility to make the process open and accountable, and to answer all the questions and concerns that have been raised by citizens and opponents," said Clancy.

The public also needs to know more about the police department and the progress that has been made implementing the recommendations of the management study, Clancy said. She said she wants an explanation on each recommendation that has been implemented.

Clancy also said the mayor needs to better utilize his authority to oversee the department.

"I just think it (the mayor's oversight of the department) needs to be done better and I think it needs to be transparent to the community," Clancy said.

Communication is a strategy Clancy said she would use to help keep the city out of legal trouble as well. She said the number of lawsuits filed against the city indicates problems.

Clancy said her ability to manage, communicate and lead will help resolve the city's problems and keep the community on track.

"I'm running because I love Newburyport. I love this city. I don't see myself ever living anyplace else and I am concerned about the lack of leadership," said Clancy. "I'm concerned about taxes. I'm concerned about growth and that we don't have a plan for managing it."


Candidates at a glance

Alan P. Lavender

60, 10 Rawson Hill Road

Occupation: (prior to being mayor) Manufacturing engineer at Rule Industries in Gloucester.

Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering from University of Rhode Island and master's degree in business from Boston University.

Community Service: Serving second year as mayor, served six years on the City Council, member of the board of directors for the Friends of the Library.

Family: wife, Betty; three children aged 30, 27 and 25.

Mary Anne Clancy

44, 26 Summit Place

Occupation: Marketing consultant for her own business, Writing Etc.

Education: Bachelor's degree in communications and political science from University of New Hampshire.

Community Service: Served on the School Committee for eight years, member of the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce (serves on the Economic Development Committee), member of the Newburyport Education Business Coalition, board member and part founder of Newburyport Education Foundation.

Family: husband, Brian; three children aged 16, 15 and 12.

Question and Answer on the issues

Do you support moving forward with the Plum Island Water and Sewer Project as it is current proposed?
Clancy: Yes --- Lavender: Yes

Do you think the overlay zoning on Plum Island is adequate to curb development on the Island once it is connected to municipal water and sewer?
Clancy: No --- Lavender: Yes

Would you support closing the Kelley School within the next two years as a means of saving money?
Clancy: No --- Lavender: No

Would you support borrowing $2 million in the next two years to build a downtown parking garage if the city can receive a $5 million grant from the state?
Clancy: Yes --- Lavender: Yes

Would you support removing 75 percent of the parking from the waterfront to create a park as proposed by the Newburyport Development Authority?
Clancy: Yes --- Lavender: No

 
 
(This article replicated online with permission of the Newburyport Daily News, an Eagle Tribune Newspaper.)
 
 
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