The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • 38

B6 City Region The on Globe THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2003 State cuts cost mayor at polls BostonWorls Combining the power of Sk Boston 6lobc t05ton.cotfi Save 20 on selected new furniture designs Save 10 on all other furniture orders Save 20 on all home accents Cambridge store only through 928 in preliminary elections held in the midst of the state budget crisis. Sitting mayors in Fitchburg, Beverly, and Waltham were also recently unseated. But Kelly Gay was perhaps the most prominent local official to be removed A former candidate for lieutenant governor, Kelly served on the Governor's Council, stumped for gubernatorial candi-' date Shannon P. O'Brien last year, and frequently advised local leaders throughout the state. Last week, she received a -standing ovation before hundreds at a Democratic State Committee meeting.

"She is an iconic figure within the Democratic Party," said Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Partyl "I'm very distressed by her defeat" On Tuesday, Kelly Gay blamed her defeat on the state aid cuts, -saying voters did not recognize the city's fiscal strain. Sean Fitzgerald, who served five years as an advisor to Kelly Gay, agreed. "She, like other mayors, was dealt a bad hand with the budget crisis," he said. Independent observers were also quick to her defense, offering sympathy for any executive forced to undertake spending reductions.

Jeffrey Berry a political science professor at Tufts University, said Kelly Gay's troubles were not unique. "A lot of mayors across Massachusetts and across the country are facing this problem," he said. "Voters have limited choices They're not at the State House talking to the governor, so the mayor is the one who sits at theS desk with the sign that says theST buck stops here." S0MERV1LLE Continued from Page Bl shocked by the results. Local voters, however, said they had expected an unceremonial ouster. After receiving 64 percent of the vote in 2001, the mayor won only two of seven wards this week.

One opponent, Joseph A. Curta-tone, had served as alderman at large for eight years. But another competitor who edged her out, Tony Lafuente, had never run for public office. "We wanted her out," said Frances Travassos, 47. "I didn't care if it was Joe or Tony, as long as itwasnther." Jenny Mobilia, 83, said friends have cautioned their grandchildren not to visit, fearful they will ask to play in Foss Park, a sprawling state park near East Somer-ville, where last year two deaf girls were raped.

The attacks set off unease and fear in the neighborhood, which was already on edge over gang-related assaults and graffiti. Mobilia voted for Lafuente, though she could not pronounce his name. "I felt we should have a change," she said. "The taxes are out of sight. We struggle to keep our homes." In interviews on Highland Avenue, near City Hall, and at Foss Park, residents shared an extensive list of complaints, most related to a perceived decline in living standards.

Somerville, a densely populated blue-collar city bordering the Mystic River, underwent a kind of renaissance during the 1990s, as areas like Davis Square attracted cafes and eateries for young professionals, who streamed into the city after Cambridge abolished rent control. But suddenly, when state aid declined, city services did, too. And residents who thought they were living in the new Cambridge grew angry over dirty streets and schools in disrepair. In addition, they were hit with new fees in a number of areas, including parking violations. The city launched an aggressive effort to raise revenues, doing everything from asking nonprofit organizations to make payments to the city in lieu Somerville Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay was the third-place finisher in Tuesday's preliminary voting.

of taxes to increasing the towing of cars on street cleaning days, and hitting the car owners with $95 fees. Those interviewed yesterday said the problems were only growing, and most blamed Kelly Gay. "Capuano went through tough times, but he was able to keep it together," said Courtney Wayshak, 40. He was watching a soccer practice with Sarah McClellan, 43, who also cast a vote against the mayor. "The school layoffs were big, and Assembly Square is a big problem," she said.

She added: "The city looks like a mess. The water fountains are not working, there's graffiti everywhere, and the grass is growing over the sides of benches." Many voters complained of their real estate bills, and grumbled about Assembly Square, a largely abandoned site on the Mystic River that residents hoped would generate enormous tax revenue for the cash-starved city. Developers proposed bringing a huge IKEA furniture store and a Home Depot to the site, but the project has been tied up in lawsuits, and residents blamed the mayor for failing to resolve the conflict Other incumbents fared poorly 0) ill1 KJtej fc Kelly Gay spent yesterday isch 3 lated in her office, declining tOJ 2 give interviews. Today, she plans to go to Ireland on a hastily scheduled trip. However, Tuesday night as she gathered with hundreds of somber supporters, she said her career in politics was not over.

"You never say never," she said. Benjamin Gedan can be reached at gedanglobe.com. Allies find themselves rivals for council spot One Kendall Sq (Jet. Hampshire Broadway) CAMBRIDGE MA 617 494-0406 800 718.8604 orwww.pompy.com for a FREE CATALOG AND OTHER LOCATIONS BostonWorki Contontng the power of Oif Pompanoosuc Mills We build furniture for life Made in Vermont 1 1 1 i 1 mi ii 1 pQ FASH10N01JTLET people participate, because I tend to do well among the grass roots," Hennigan said. "I was trying to be helpful to Felix and I did that to my detriment I told people to vote for him.

It would be a shame toi lose him on the council. some people in the preliminary probably thought I was fine and, said, 'I'd better throw Felix City Councilor Chuck Turner and many other black elected offw cials have rallied around ArroycC? encouraging their base of minority voters, as well as white liberals, tcj vote for Arroyo and no other at- large candidate. The strategy isr' called "bullet" voting, which is used to boost a chances among voters, who can select four candidates. McCormack suggested that Ar-; royo, the city's first Latino council- or, might end up earning the support of voters who believe that Boston's fastest-growing minority group deserves political representation, even if they don't agree with him on most issues and arent impressed by his attention to global issues beyond the council's normal scope. "You can look at Felix and be critical of the hunger-strike the Tm only going to eat veggies on Tuesday' approach," McCormack said, referring to Arroyo's method of protesting the Iraq war.

"But the fact of the matter is, Boston is more than 50 percent minority. It's a good and healthy thing for the council to be diverse and reflect the composition of the city, and the city is not all white men." Arroyo said he is encouraged by his finish, noting that he placed closer to the fourth-place candidate Tuesday than he did in 2001. "It's so close you can taste it," Arroyo said. "This is not the first time that somebody who finished fifth wins in the final. Flaherty did that in 1999.

The vote expands in November to the progressives and people of color. Definitely I feel this is a winning campaign, and I'm very confident with that There is space, I think practical space, for both Hennigan and I to continue our service to the city." ELECTION Continuedmm Page Bl cause his minority base did not vote in large numbers Henni-gan was shown to have lost ground, particularly in areas in which she usually is strongest White was the beneficiary. Her profile is similar to Hennigan's both are liberal-leaning women of Irish descent White said she was thrilled with the results, but she cautioned that Nov. 4 is "really Election Day." "There wasnt one neighborhood in the city of Boston where Patricia White's campaign was not visible," she said. "I will just continue to do the same thing I've been doing for the past 2 months." Even in West Roxbury precincts, which Hennigan represented for 18 years as a district councilor, Hennigan came in third behind Flaherty and Murphy.

By comparison, Hennigan had carried West Roxbury in 2001. In addition, White, who has relatives in West Roxbury, and CMalley, a native of the district, also took healthy portions of the turnout there. Michael McCormack, another former councilor who closely observes City Hall, was surprised that Arroyo could not parlay his incumbency into a top-four finish, but he was even more perplexed by Hennigan's poor performance. "This is a 20-year city councilor who has tremendous name recognition and whose family has been around city politics forever," McCormack said. Hennigan was also the top finisher in Ward 5 in 2001.

In those precincts Tuesday from Bay Village to Beacon Hill to the Back Bay White beat her handily. Flaherty finished second and Hennigan third in those precincts. Hennigan's best finish in the ward was a tie for second place with Flaherty in Precinct 8, with 18 percent of the vote. Hennigan said that she did no mailings to likely voters before the preliminary and that her focus is always on the general election, when her liberal base shows up. She added that her efforts to help Axroyo might have backfired in the short-term.

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