Few candidates, fewer issues on ballot

Will it be reaction to the elementary school consolidation plan approved by the School Committee and implemented in September? The ballot question that seeks to re-instate rent control?

And how many of the city's 55,831 registered voters will go to the polls and cast ballots for City Council and School Committee?

Only about one-third of voters have turned out for the last several municipal elections, according to Teresa Neighbor, executive director of the city's Election Commission.

On the rent control question, approval by 30 percent of the city's registered voters Tuesday would be needed for passage, after which the measure would face additional approval steps from the state Legislature and the governor.

Vacancies on the City Council tend to attract more voters, Neighbor said. But this year, all nine council incumbents are running. The 11 challengers are a mix of first-time candidates, perennial office seekers, and well-known community activists.

Both council and school committee members are elected for two-year terms under the Proportional Representation system, where a candidate needs to win a certain proportion of the votes and voters indicate their order of preference.

''This has been a relatively issue-less council term," said political observer Robert Winters, who operates the Cambridge Civic Journal website. The real surprise for political observers: the low number of candidates. The number of new voters is also declining, Neighbor said. A total of 1,938 residents registered to vote this summer and fall, she said, down from an average of 3,000. Several hundred newly registered are MIT students, Neighbor said.

CANDIDATES FOR CITY COUNCIL (*=incumbent).

Carole K. Bellew, East Cambridge activist; accountant and financial consultant. www.caroleforcambridge.com

Henrietta Davis,* completing fourth term on council; former School Committee member. Master's degree in Public Administration, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Master of Social Planning, Boston College. www.henriettadavis.org.

Matt S. DeBergalis, engineer; founder of Cambridge-based software start-up. Master's degree in Computer Science from MIT. www.deberg.org.

Marjorie C. Decker,* completing second term; former legislative aide to State Representative Alice Wolf and director of legal services advocacy group; graduate, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. www.marjoriedecker.com.

Vincent Lawrence Dixon, longtime Mid-Cambridge resident; local historic tour guide and president of Dixon Enterprises.

Anthony D. Galluccio*, completing fifth term; former mayor; attorney; graduate, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Providence College, Suffolk University Law School.

Daniel J. Greenwood, principal and founder of e-commerce and e-government consulting firm; attorney; graduate, Suffolk University Law School, Clark University. www.civics.com.

Robert L. Hall, North Cambridge activist; director, Fresh Pond Action Group, volunteer community service organization.

Craig A. Kelley, North Cambridge activist; environmental consultant; former officer, US Marine Corps; graduate, Boston College Law School. www.CraigKelley.org.

Ethridge A. King Jr., Assistant Director of Development, Boston University. Graduate, Rindge and Latin, Boston University. www.ethridgeking.com.

Robert J. Latremouille, longtime local activist; leader, Friends of the White Geese.

David P. Maher*, completing second term; former School Committee member; development director for Cambridge Family and Children's Service; graduate of Suffolk University School of Management. www.davidmaher.org

Brian Murphy*, completing first term; attorney; graduate, Harvard University, University of Chicago Law School. www.brianmurphy.org.

John Pitkin, Mid-Cambridge activist; professional demographer; Bachelor's degree, Columbia University; studied economics at Oxford University. www.JohnPitkin.org.

Kenneth E. Reeves*, completing seventh term; former mayor; attorrney; Harvard College graduate. www.kenreeves.org.

Denise Simmons*, completing first term; former School Committee member; owner of insurance agency; Master of Education degree, Antioch College and Bachelor of Arts, University of Masschusetts. www.denise-simmons.org.

Aimee Louise Smith, state Membership Director, Green-Rainbow Party; rent control and immigrant rights activist; Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, MIT. www.electaimee.org.

Michael A. Sullivan*, completing fifth term; current mayor; attorney; former assistant district attorney and assistant attorney general; graduate, Boston College, B.C. Law.

Laurie Taymorberry, activist in local Democratic City Committee; worked for state Department of Social Services and Elder Protective Services; M.Ed. in Human Service Administration, Social Work, and Criminal Justice.

Timothy J. Toomey Jr.*, completing seventh term; Cambridge state representative; former School Committee member; graduate, Suffolk University.

CANDIDATES FOR SCHOOL COMMITTEE *=incumbent.

Christopher Craig, educator; former engineering assistant and lecturer at MIT; Master's in Education from Harvard.

Alfred B. Fantini*, Deputy Treasurer, Town of Arlington; president, Cambridge Community Television; graduate, Cambridge College, Bentley College.

Joseph. G. Grassi*, completing fifth term; founding member of two local youth leagues; graduate, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Northeastern University; Persian Gulf War veteran.

Richard Harding Jr,* completing first term; director, city's Men of Color Health Initiative; graduate, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Fitchburg State College. www.richardharding.com.

Ben Lummis, educator; director, middle-school reform program based in Boston. www.BenLummis.org.

Marc C. McGovern, social worker; employed at school in Boston for children with learning disabilities; graduate, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, University of Masschusetts, Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work. www.marcmcgovern.com.

Alan C. Price,* completing first term; runs leadership and consulting firm with wife, Gina LaRoche; former chair of city Police Review and Advisory Board; graduate, Harvard Law School. www.voteprice.org.

Nancy Walser,* completing second term; former journalist; author, The Parents Guide to Cambridge Schools; a founder of citywide parents group. www.nancywalser.org.

For detailed candidate information and photographs submitted by the candidates visit the Cambridge Civic Journal at rwinters.com.

ELECTION INFORMATION

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Deadline to apply for absentee ballot is noon tomorrow. Voters may cast such ballots if they cannot get to the polls on Election Day for reasons of ''religious belief, physical disability or absence from the city," according to the Election Commission. Unofficial results will be announced Tuesday night at the Citywide Senior Center, 806 Mass. Ave. The official count begins 10 a.m. Wednesday. For info, call the commission at 617-349-4361 or visit at 51 Inman St., Central Square.