Ballot reflections

Boston's upcoming preliminary election reveals some encouraging signs of political life

During Jim Kelly's long presidency, the Boston City Council has degenerated into little more than a glorified constituent-services agency. This somnolence is only rarely broken, and then usually by Kelly himself during one of his periodic outbursts on race. For the most part, the council's traditional role as a generator of innovation and ideas is nothing but a memory. No doubt the autocratic mayor, Tom Menino, likes that just fine. Yet there are reasons to be optimistic. For one thing, 46 candidates are vying for the 13 council seats -- a real sign of vibrancy, particularly in a year when there's no mayor's race on the ballot. For another, some of these candidates show signs of having the independence and creativity needed to work with the mayor when it's appropriate, and to challenge him when necessary.

On Tuesday, September 21, voters in the preliminary election will winnow the field. Two candidates will be chosen to face off this November in six of the nine district seats; two incumbents are unopposed, and one faces just a single challenger, thus not requiring participation in a preliminary election. Two of the 10 candidates for the at-large (that is, citywide) council slots will be eliminated, with the remaining eight vying for four slots in November.

The city faces a number of crucial issues, and the next council can, if it wishes to assert itself, help shape Boston's future. The city's school system is improving, but even superintendent Thomas Payzant concedes that progress has neither been as fast nor as far-reaching as it needs to be. Massive development projects have been proposed in several parts of the city, yet Menino and his Boston Redevelopment Authority director, Tom O'Brien, appear to have no coherent vision -- or, perhaps, an imperial one. Land-taking costs associated with the convention center have already far exceeded expectations. There are still far more questions than answers concerning the Red Sox' $545 million proposal for a new Fenway Park, which experts say could end up costing two to four times that much. And the shortage of affordable housing simmers at crisis levels.

Among the at-large contenders, incumbent Peggy Davis-Mullen stands out as a clear choice for re-election. Although she's a conservative on a number of issues, she is one of the few councilors willing to stand up to Menino on a regular basis. For the past several years Davis-Mullen has made a concerted effort to reach out to the gay and lesbian community. And she does not restrict her involvement to the city council: recognizing the immense value of the arts to Boston, she is also the co-executive producer of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, which brings high-quality theater to kids across the city.

Two non-incumbent candidates for at-large positions, Greg Timilty and Michael Flaherty, have made good impressions thus far, but haven't really been tested yet, although Flaherty ran unsuccessfully several years ago. If both survive the preliminary, it will be interesting to see how they fare when the race heats up.

Two of the council's more progressive district representatives -- Tom Keane, of District Eight (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway), and Gareth Saunders, of District Seven (Roxbury, South End), are stepping down. Their open positions have attracted several promising candidates.

In District Eight, Alana Murphy -- a former Ray Flynn aide and past president of the Fenway Community Development Corporation -- deserves a vote next Tuesday. Murphy, who gripes about City Hall's "reactive" stance toward development, is a critic of the council's "minimalist approach to city government," a situation that she would like to change. What's more, Murphy really knows the Fenway, a small neighborhood beset by medical institutions, universities, commercial development, and, most of all, the Red Sox. Keane has always been more oriented toward Back Bay and Beacon Hill. Murphy would give the Fenway the strong advocate it has lacked since Keane defeated David Scondras in 1993.

Of the other District Eight candidates, Anthony Schinella, a Mission Hill activist who's previously run long-shot campaigns for city council and for Congress, has won some plaudits for his aggressive, outspoken independence. If he survives the preliminary, the question he'll have to answer before November is whether he can play well with others, too. But if, as the pundits predict, the feisty Suzanne Iannella wins a spot on the final ballot, it should make for a hard-fought, challenging campaign.

In District Seven, Chuck Turner is a smart, hard-working community leader who has clearly earned the right to advance to November. A domestic-violence counselor, Turner has been a Roxbury activist since the 1960s, when he helped lead a successful fight to stop the construction of a massive highway through the neighborhood. Turner is a strong advocate of community empowerment, and has pledged to address the housing squeeze and the inequities created by an economic boom that has bypassed many of his would-be constituents. Mel King, whom the Phoenix endorsed in his historic 1983 mayoral run, has come out of semi-retirement to manage Turner's campaign. King remains one of the African-American community's most accomplished and charismatic leaders, and his support speaks volumes about Turner's qualities.

Another District Seven contender, Julio Henriquez, who has been active with the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, has run a promising campaign. To advance beyond the preliminary, though, he must put to rest lingering doubts about his independence from Menino, who employs Henriquez's wife, Sandra Henriquez, as head of the Boston Housing Authority.

Councilors Maura Hennigan (District Six, Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury) and Brian Honan (District Nine, Allston-Brighton) both face challengers. To date, though, these challengers have not made a compelling case for why the incumbents should be replaced. Perhaps they will in the final race, but for now the Phoenix recommends that voters back the incumbents.

In District Two (South Boston), Jim Kelly is running unopposed. It's a shame. Though Kelly is effective in the narrow sense of representing his immediate constituents' interests, his offensive rhetoric and his lack of a vision for Boston as a whole make him a dubious choice for the city -- especially given his stranglehold on the council presidency.

Even a long-shot challenge from, say, the South End, part of which lies in his district, would have cast useful scrutiny on Kelly's record. Now we'll have to wait another two years -- at least.

What do you think? Send an e-mail to letters[a]phx.com.