For the second time, the three candidates for Ward 3 - incumbents Ted Hess-Mahan and Leslie Burg, and challenger Greer Tan Swiston - have tussled in a citywide election for the alderman at large jobs.
In 2005, Burg, an electoral newcomer at the time, garnered 400 more votes than Swiston.
Undaunted, Swiston is trying again. An independent IT consultant, she positions herself as someone who will bring a different approach to the board.
That includes voting "no" on the mayor's budget when she disagrees with his numbers, something most aldermen did not do this year.
"At least you're on the record for voting for what you believe in," Swiston said.
Should she be elected to the board, Swiston would focus on three areas: enacting the comprehensive plan; encouraging fiscal stability; and pushing for a charter review. She hesitated in discussing an operational override for next fiscal year.
"My gut instinct is wanting to resist an override as much as we can," Swiston said.
A debt exclusion override, on the other hand, was on the table should it address the city's ailing fire stations and school buildings.
Burg favored an opposite scenario. The retired teacher would support an operational override to help cover a projected $9 million budgetary gap for next year, but encourage cost-saving measures recommended by the Blue Ribbon Commission and increased development along Needham and Washington streets.
Before considering a debt exclusion override, Burg would like to see the city rank capital projects and discuss how to finance each one.
"All of our infrastructure, as well as our municipal buildings, all of that is part of the pot," Burg said. "Everything has been neglected over the past 20-25 years. And it's all coming home to roost.
"We can't make those choices unless we have the information," she added.
Getting that information is one of Hess-Mahan's main missions as an alderman. He would like the mayor to prepare an annual long-range financial forecast to help the city plan for major projects years in advance.
Hess-Mahan would give residents the choice of a debt exclusion override, but wanted more information before committing his support to an operational override.
"We need to know what the mayor wants to pay for and when he wants to pay for it before we can make these kinds of decisions," the attorney said.
Case in point, the firehouses. Hess-Mahan said he would use his vote to send a message to the mayor on certain capital projects.
"Until I know what's going to go on with the firehouses, I'm not going to vote on the NewTurf," he said. Burg agreed with her colleague, although both said the fields were in need of repair.
Here, Swiston aligned with her opponents.
"I think our fields need attention, but I don't support the current NewTurf proposal," said Swiston, arguing the price tag was too high.
All three have been actively involved in charter commission discussions. While Swiston and Hess-Mahan would have the Board of Aldermen reduced to 12-16 members, Burg would refrain from shrinking the board without first analyzing the consequences.
The candidates again divided on issues regarding the Fire Department.
Swiston, who was alone among the three in having a firefighters' sign displayed on her front lawn, said aldermen had to keep "applying the pressure" to help firefighters land a new contract.
Both Ward 3 aldermen supported the contract mediation/arbitration process, but Burg diverged from Hess-Mahan in voting in favor of the board's resolution asking the mayor to abolish the sick leave policy.
"I do believe you don't punish innocent people," she said.
Hess-Mahan said he would support a sick leave policy similar to that of other city departments, in which the head - or fire chief - could enforce the doctor's note clause for those firefighters suspected of abusing sick time.
"I can't support spending money for both sick time and in some cases overtime so that somebody can take a day off that they're not entitled," he said. "At the same time, it's a harsh policy."
Leslie Friday can be reached at lfriday@cnc.com.
