Eight candidates for City Council have written a detailed letter raising concerns about the upcoming debates organized and hosted by Newton’s four Neighborhood Area Councils. The writers – Martha Bixby, Alicia Bowman, Deb Crossley, Vicki Danberg, Andreae Downs, Dan Gaynor, Holly Ryan and Doris Ann Sweet — said that the unusually large number of contributions made to their opponents by Area Council members calls into question the ability of the Area Councils to conduct an impartial debate. They noted that in addition to the Area Council members who have contributed, Rena Getz, president of the Waban Area Council, is running against Ward 5 At-Large candidates Deb Crossley and Andreae Downs, so she should recuse herself from managing the debates.
Alicia Bowman, who emailed the group’s letter to Fig City News said that she spent time researching the Office Of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) records and noted “a lot of activity for one set of candidates.” She said that the Area Councils did not reach out to candidates for their input. Among their demands for “a fair debate” is that:
- Area Council members who have contributed to campaigns should recuse themselves;
- Seat selection and order of questions should be determined randomly;
- 45-word opening statements must be read as provided;
- Questions should be asked in a neutral tone;
- The moderator should explain the rules and moderate, not editorialize;
- The moderator or a time keeper should announce verbally when a candidate’s time is up; and
- None of the candidates’ remarks are to be cut off, as happened to Martha Bixby in the preliminary debate.
In discussion with Fig City News, Councilor Bowman raised the issue about the Area Councils’ authority to conduct debates. Regarding the point that there is nothing in the City Charter prohibiting them, she suggested that the City Council could decide to curtail their ability to do so.
In response to their letter, the Area Council Debate Working Group – Jennifer Bentley (Newtonville Chair), Jeremy Freudberg (Newton Highlands Chair), Barbara Darnell, (Newton Highlands Area Council), Chris Pitts (Waban Area Council), Carolyn Jacoby Gabbay (Newtonville Area Council), and Harvey Young (Newtonville Area Council) — responded that the Area Councils have been conducting debates for twelve years. Area Council members who work on debates are in charge of the logistics. Questions come from the public or are a synthesis of issues mentioned in public hearings and Area Council meetings. Candidates select their own seats on the dais, and the first question is the moderator’s decision. This year, the Area Council will use dice to determine who gets the first questions.
Once again. Marjorie Arons-Barron, a longtime political print and media journalist, will assume the role of moderator, and she will state the ground rules and ask the questions. In addition to using time-card warnings, there will be a verbal time warning. And the Area Council will not edit the debate in any way.
Last, the Area Council Debate Working Group noted that Rena Getz has recused herself from any participation in the Area Council debate preparations.
