The Newton League of Women Voters and Newton’s Area Councils have always presented themselves as reliable, impartial sponsors of local candidate debates. In the past, their debates have been in front of live audiences moderated by neutral parties — non-Newton League members for the League, and the distinguished journalist Marjorie Arons-Barron for the Area Councils.
League of Women Voters Newton
This year, the League conducted six debates in a studio at NewTV without an audience, but available on the NewTV website. Impartiality and information guide the League’s debates. The station’s news director, Jenn Adams – who is not a Newton resident – moderated the Wards 2, 4, and 6 Ward Council debates and the Ward 5 At-Large debate. Former Wellesley LWV president Marlene O’Brien moderated the Ward 6 At-Large debate and Bonny Nothern, the current Wellesley League President, moderated the Ward 8 debate. As is the League practice, questions were submitted in advance by the audience.
Area Councils
The four Newton Area Councils have been conducting local debates for a dozen years, with Marjorie Arons-Barron as moderator. This year’s debates, planned for Saturday, October 21st and Sunday, October 22nd, at the Zervas Elementary School, required a last-minute detour when Ms. Arons-Barron developed Covid. After some consternation about a substitute moderator, she declared that if the debates were conducted via Zoom, without a live audience, she could assume her role as moderator. Once again, Waban Area Council Vice President Chris Pitts provided the technical support.
Earlier in the debate planning, eight candidates, led by Ward 6 At-Large City Councilor Alicia Bowman, wrote a letter to the Area Councils – and to Fig City News – protesting some Area Council members’ endorsements and contributions to their opponents.
As has always been the case, the Area Council debate planning committee solicited questions from the public, and Moderator Arons-Barron chose from among them. Each candidate was allowed the same time for introduction, response, and rebuttal.
After the debates, Councilor Bowman agreed that the debate process was fair, and she was particularly reassured by the fact that Ms. Arons-Barron continued her role as moderator. She contrasted the Newton League of Women Voters policies of non-endorsement and non-contribution as examples of the appropriate approach.She acknowledged that the Area Council planning group abided by a mutually satisfactory protocol, and the questions were fair and balanced.
