Would-be candidates emerge in Newton
Mayor had said he won't run again
With Mayor David Cohen's nose-diving popularity culminating in last week's announcement that he will not seek reelection, at least three people are seriously considering running for the city's top job.
Among them is Democratic state Representative Ruth Balser, a longtime friend and supporter of Cohen, who said she can be a force for healing in Newton.
"I like to think that I'm someone who can work with lots of different people," Balser said in a phone interview yesterday. "Hopefully I could help lead a consensus."
Consensus in Newton is a rarity these days, as the city undertakes construction of the most expensive high school in the state and faces a $12 million override. City officials have been criticized for the construction of the $197 million high school by parents, state officials, and a fiscal watchdog group that said it has made Newton a "poster child" for suburban excess. The override vote, set for May 20, remains another contentious issue that has pitted a faction that wants improved funding for city services against residents who say local taxes are already too high.
Cohen, an override supporter, has been a polarizing figure on both fronts. On Friday, under pressure from some of his most trusted political allies, he announced he will not seek reelection. The news came after an ill-timed disclosure by Cohen that he planned to seek a 28 percent pay raise. Some residents said he should have stepped down sooner.
"We need new leadership and the mayor should resign," said Jack Nusan Porter, a local political activist. "The entire city is in chaos and a sense of uncertainty prevails."
Jockeying among Cohen's would-be successors has begun.
Setti Warren, an aide to Senator John F. Kerry, has indicated he plans to enter the race. Warren is on active duty in the Navy on a yearlong tour in Iraq. His supporters have filed the required paperwork with the city to create an exploratory committee and begin raising funds. They have also launched a website, "Newton for Setti Warren" at settiwarren.com. He is due back from overseas duty in October.
Ward 6 Alderman Ken Parker, a longtime critic of the mayor and his management of the new high school's design financing, has also formed an exploratory committee and a parker2009.org website. He said he supports the override.
"I'm not going there," he said, when asked if the mayor should resign.
"There's been a lot of division recently," he added. "We need to come back together."
Adding to the political tumult, a group of residents has undertaken a petition drive to rescind $56 million in funding for the high school project, an effort that would bring the cost down to $141 million. Residents were out in force all weekend collecting signatures at Newton supermarkets and post offices. If they get 2,600 signatures by 5 p.m. today, and those signatures are certified by the city Elections Commission, voters will be able to decide whether the city should borrow the extra $56 million for the project.
Political observers said Cohen seemed relaxed and convivial Saturday night at an evening party hosted by Alderwoman Victoria Danberg. Balser, who was among the guests, said yesterday that she had not discussed her potential bid with the mayor. She also said she does not support the referendum petition.
"Everyone feels the price tag has gone way up," she said of the high school. "The idea of stopping it in the middle, most people don't think that will bring [the cost] down," she said.
A clinical psychologist and New York City native, Balser was first elected in 1998 to fill the State House seat vacated by Cohen when he became mayor. She serves as cochairwoman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, opposed the governor's casino proposal, and supported funding to improve conditions for prison inmates after revelations that suicides in Massachusetts prisons exceeded those in other states.
An override supporter, she declined to discuss Cohen's handling of the high school project.
"What I know about David Cohen is he has spent more than 35 years devoted to the city of Newton and made a decision in dialogue with his constituents not to go forward anymore," she said. 