Liberals Hold City Council

The unofficial results from last week's elections for City Council were announced Saturday night, with the progressive Cambridge Civic Association (CCA) retaining its five to four majority over the more conservative Independents.

City politicos from both sides said yesterday the transfer of votes possible under proportional representation helped the CCA maintain its slim margin.

The three newcomers to the council for the next term are CCA-endorsed Kathleen L. Born and Katherine Triantafillou and Independent Michael A. Sullivan.

The incumbents reelected onto the council are CCA-endorsed Kenneth E. Reeves '72, Francis H. Duehay '55 and Jonathan S. Myers and Independents Sheila T. Russell, Timothy J. Toomey and William H. Walsh.

Cambridge Alliance President William J. Zamparelli said proportional representation hurt the Alliance for Change, which endorsed many Independents.

Zamparelli said ordinary citizens often don't realize that although they number several choices on their ballots, their vote will count for only one candidate in the end.

"With this vote transfer process in the city of Cambridge, it's been difficult for a lot of people who are not political junkies to understand how to vote effectively," Zamparelli said.

Under proportional representation, citizens rank their choice of candidates. Whenever the candidate a ballot is counting for amasses a surplus of votes or fails to garner enough votes to qualify, ballots are transferred towards the next numbered candidate.

But CCA President R. Philip Dowds said voters are "smarter than you think." Votes for certain Independents endorsed by the Alliance for Change were

Cambridge City Council, 1994-1995

Council incumbents are listed in bold type.

Kathleen L. Born

Francis H. Duehay '55

Jonathan S. Myers

Kenneth E. Reeves '72

Shella T. Russell

Michael A. Sullivan

Timothy J. Toomey

Katherine Triantafillou

William H. Walsh transferred to CCA candidates because voters"recognized slates that didn't work," he said.

Traditionally, people who list a CCA-endorsedcandidate as their first choice usually list otherprogressive candidates for their other choices.People who list an Independent as first choicetend to list a wider variety of candidates asalternate choices.

Transfer votes from Independents helped someCCA-endorsed candidates more than others.

Born said the transfer votes from Independentsallowed her to defeat the CCA-endorsed Edward N.Cyr, the only incumbent who lost.

"In the end what really put me ahead of Cyr wastransfers from Michael A. Baldasaro and Anthony D.Galluccio," she said.

Dowds said he is "enthusiastic" about the fiveCCA-endorsed candidates who were elected to thecouncil, even though the group does not includeCyr. Cyr could not be reached for comment.

"Sometimes government is benefited by rotationof officials," Dowds said. "It might not serve thepurposes of democracy to have the same group ofpeople as officials forever."

But it is not clear whether the principle ofrotation will determine who will be the nextmayor.

The council will elect the new mayor when itassumes office on January 3.

Because the political group with the majorityon the council usually acts in consensus to choosea new mayor from among its incumbents, eitherDuehay, Reeves, or Myers will likely win the job

Traditionally, people who list a CCA-endorsedcandidate as their first choice usually list otherprogressive candidates for their other choices.People who list an Independent as first choicetend to list a wider variety of candidates asalternate choices.

Transfer votes from Independents helped someCCA-endorsed candidates more than others.

Born said the transfer votes from Independentsallowed her to defeat the CCA-endorsed Edward N.Cyr, the only incumbent who lost.

"In the end what really put me ahead of Cyr wastransfers from Michael A. Baldasaro and Anthony D.Galluccio," she said.

Dowds said he is "enthusiastic" about the fiveCCA-endorsed candidates who were elected to thecouncil, even though the group does not includeCyr. Cyr could not be reached for comment.

"Sometimes government is benefited by rotationof officials," Dowds said. "It might not serve thepurposes of democracy to have the same group ofpeople as officials forever."

But it is not clear whether the principle ofrotation will determine who will be the nextmayor.

The council will elect the new mayor when itassumes office on January 3.

Because the political group with the majorityon the council usually acts in consensus to choosea new mayor from among its incumbents, eitherDuehay, Reeves, or Myers will likely win the job