Merrimack Valley

Lawmakers have yet to vote on petition to allow Methuen to skip primary

By J.J. Huggins
jhuggins@eagletribune.com
Published: June 24, 2009

METHUEN — The City Council voted this past winter to skip this year's preliminary municipal election to save an estimated $32,400.

But the state Legislature has the final say over whether voters will have a chance to whittle down the playing field before the Nov. 3 election, and lawmakers have not voted on Methuen's petition yet.

State Rep. Linda Dean Campbell, D-Methuen, filed the home rule petition and it's in the Joint Committee On Election Laws, she said.

"The seriousness of this recession cuts both ways," Campbell said. "It accentuates the need to allow citizens to have a voice at the ballot box and the need for the commonwealth and our cities and towns to cut their budgets."

Methuen isn't the only city to file such a petition. Revere filed one too, according to state Sen. Thomas Kennedy, chairman of the Joint Committee On Election Laws.

Campbell and Kennedy said the petition will be considered after the cities officially determine how many candidates are on the ballots. In Methuen, candidates have to collect 150 signatures from registered voters to run citywide — 50 signatures from each of the three districts. If they're running for a district seat, they only have to collect 50 signatures from that district.

"Before deciding on a bill that would eliminate preliminary elections, it is necessary for the candidate field to be certified by the city or town elections department," Kennedy said. "Once that happens, each bill will have a fair review, on a case-by-case basis."

"I believe that the determination should be made after it has been certified how many people are going to be running for office," Campbell said. "It's prudent and responsible to wait, and there is nothing lost by waiting."

The point of skipping the primary is to save money during an abnormally tight budget year. The money could be enough to prevent a full-time employee from being laid off, said Mayor William Manzi.

"Thirty thousand is not something that we take lightly," he said.

Manzi's proposed fiscal year 2010 budget contains the money for the primary, but he said he may cut it out — before lawmakers vote on the petition.

"It would just help us to balance our budget," he said.

Methuen's nomination papers are due July 28.

Campbell said lawmakers could approve the petition quickly. If no vote is taken by the Legislature, then Methuen still has a primary on Sept. 15.

Methuen City Clerk Christine Touma-Conway said the deadline to order ballots for the primary is around Aug. 14.

So far, none of those seeking office have complained about the city's effort to forgo the primary.

"Whether there's a primary involved or not, it doesn't alter our plans," said Pelham Street resident Al DiNuccio, who plans to run for mayor. "We're in it to win it, so we're not worried who gets bumped out, who doesn't get bumped out."

There could end up being at least three candidates for mayor. In addition to DiNuccio and incumbent Manzi, Washington Street resident Kevin Thompson has taken out nomination papers.

The field for the two West District City Council seats looks more crowded. Four candidates have taken out nomination papers — the incumbents Deborah Quinn and Jeanne Pappalardo, along with John "Jack" Burke and retiring city police Capt. Ed Guy.

Burke said he opposes primaries, mainly because they favor incumbents.

"Everyone who gets qualified should have their name on one ballot," he said. "When you look at all the data, they only favor incumbents."

University of Massachusetts Lowell associate professor Jeffrey Gerson, who teaches an urban politics class, previously said skipping the primary probably favors incumbents. If there's two challengers and an incumbent in a primary and the incumbent and one challenger emerge, then the challenger can enlist the support of the people who voted for the other challenger in the primary. Having all candidates appear together on the ballot at the final election diffuses the protest votes against the incumbent, Gerson said.

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