METHUEN — During Wednesday night's debate between Mayor William Manzi and challenger Al DiNuccio, DiNuccio said there are 27 city employees who take home city-owned vehicles.
"The number is not 27, it's substantially less," Manzi retorted, without providing the specific number.
The next day, The Eagle-Tribune asked Manzi what the correct number is, and he said it's 26.
"I said he was wrong," Manzi said, when asked about his response during the debate. "There was not 27. Honestly, the reason I didn't give a specific number is because I couldn't remember what the number was."
DiNuccio claims debate victory
The DiNuccio campaign put out a press release calling last week's Methuen Community Television Mayoral Forum "a complete success.
"One of the most interesting moments of the debate was when Mr. DiNuccio exposed Mr. Manzi for missing an important School Committee meeting to attend his own fundraiser," the press release said.
The press release said Manzi "gave an expected evasive answer" when DiNuccio asked him why people should reelect him, given "the magnitude of problems Methuen has encountered" under his leadership, such as "misspending of funds, lawsuits, tax increases, departments in turmoil and various scandals."
Manzi had responded during the debate by saying DiNuccio lacked specifics. "Where's the beef?" the mayor asked.
"The people of Methuen have lived with these 'real issues' for the last four years," DiNuccio's press release said. "Mr. Manzi pretending it is political rhetoric cannot fool the citizens. His arrogance is one of the reasons he thinks he can do as he pleases regardless of proper policy and not be held accountable to the citizens he is supposed to serve."
Manzi on the attack
Manzi also stayed on the offense after the debate. He wrote on his blog, billmanzi.com, about how DiNuccio recommended during the debate that the city should consider becoming self-insured for health care.
"He also recommended that as part of this program we consider 'catastrophic coverage,' which would be 'inexpensive,'" Manzi wrote. "The problem with his reply was that the city of Methuen is already 'self insured' with 'stop loss' coverage that is in no way 'inexpensive.' The point here is not to score debating points, but to highlight the fact that a critically important part of our budget is so fundamentally misunderstood by a candidate for Mayor.
"In January, the next mayor will begin negotiating with our municipal unions on the parameters of next year's health care plan, and the results will be critical to the fiscal year 2011 budget," Manzi continued. "I successfully negotiated a health care plan this year that saved taxpayers $1.2 million, and with forecasts calling for a 10 percent increase in health costs in Massachusetts next year, the next mayor will need to be ready to hit the ground running."
Councilor backs incumbent
Manzi has picked up an endorsement from City Councilor Kenneth Willette Jr.
"I believe that Mayor Manzi has provided the City of Methuen with competent leadership over the past three plus years and deserves to be elected to a third term in office," Willette said in a press release. "Mayor Manzi made the cuts he had to make while preserving core services and holding the line on taxes. As a councilor and taxpayer, I couldn't ask for a better solution."
"I look forward to working with Ken in the future," Manzi said in the press release, which noted that Willette is now running for School Committee.
We need your questions
The theme of this political season, at least for those of us in the media, has been to ask the public to provide questions for the candidates in the Nov. 3 election.
The Eagle-Tribune and Mann Orchards are holding a one-hour Town Hall-style debate between Manzi and DiNuccio at Mann Orchards, 25 Pleasant Valley St., at 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday. The forum will give the public the opportunity to question the candidates on the spot.
You can catch the action in person while enjoying coffee and refreshments at Mann's, or you can watch it live at eagletribune.com and later on Methuen Community Television.
If you have something you want to ask Manzi and DiNuccio, please e-mail me at jhuggins@eagletribune.com, or mail it to me at J.J. Huggins, 100 Turnpike St., North Andover, MA 01845. Please include your phone number and/or e-mail address.
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Got campaign news? E-mail reporter J.J. Huggins at jhuggins@eagletribune.com or call 978-946-2134.
