The incoming Newton City Council is scheduled to elect its new president and vice president this Thursday (Dec. 14) at City Hall. As noted earlier, Susan Albright, Cheryl Lappin and Marc Laredo have expressed interest in being president. According to Amy Sangiolo’s fabulous newsletter Vicki Danberg and Rick Lipof are running for vice president.
Also, we neglected to report this here sooner but belated congratulations to Ruth Goldman, who was reelected as chair of the Newton School Committee and to Steve Siegel who will be the new vice chair.
I would think Cheryl would be a good president but not both her and Rick in the top positions. I also wouldn’t support 2 females. So I wish another man would run for V.P.
@Colleen – it’s often enough that there are two men in top positions. So why isn’t it ok to have two women?
Meredith, there is nothing wrong with 2 women in leadership. I simply believe with RuthAnne as mayor and 12 women as councilors a bit of balance would be worthwhile for the future.
I find Colleen’s gender comments extremely disturbing. But I agree that having a sister/brother pres/VP tandem is not ideal.
Who gets to vote? Returning and incoming?
@ Colleen …wow..just wow… not sure where to begin so I am going to step away from my keyboard.
Greg, who are the siblings?
@Colleen, I am shocked that you are suddenly concerned about a gender balance. In these United States all our lawmakers have been overwhelmingly male since the country was founded. We have more women in elected office now than ever before and yet we still are grossly underrepresented in almost every level of government. The House of Representatives is only 19% women and the U.S. Senate is only 21% women. Yet we make up over half the population of the U.S.
Come on over to Newton city hall and have a look at some of the photos of past city councils on the walls of the committee rooms. I think the first lone woman appeared in the 1950’s and finally a few more sprinkled the Chamber by the 1980’s. The Council is finally half women and we just elected our first woman mayor 144 years after becoming a city! I’m really not that concerned about having too many women in positions of leadership.
I’m gender agnostic. But I would not like to see a Mayor paired with a CC President who both supported the Charter and voted no on 8+8
How does it work with 3 people running? Top 2 then vote again? Best of the 3?
As for who wins, I know Susan the best and I’ve been a fan, even when I disagree with her. I think she’d be great. But I admit I’m not up to speed on the other candidates.
@MMQC: Councilors Lappin and Lipof are siblings.
“Councilors Lappin and Lipof are siblings.” Well they clearly had great parents who should be very proud.
I’m with Alison. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (aka “The Notorious RBG”) is often asked when she thinks there will be enough women judges on the Supreme Court. Notorious RBG answers “when all nine of them are women.”
Claire, their dad, Mike Lipof, was a highly respected and much loved Alderman for many years, as well. Quite a fine family!
figster,
This is how I think it goes…
First vote all three candidates are eligible (and anyone else who might opt to run). If any candidate gets a majority, he/she/they win. If not, the lowest vote-getter is ineligible for the second round. Repeat until someone wins with a majority (13 votes). If there’s a 12-12 tie, they just keep revoting until someone changes their mind.
It could be more informal where supporters of the low vote-getter simply recognize that their candidate won’t win and things change in the second round.
In any case, they keep voting until there’s a clear majority preference.
I think the general consensus is that Cheryl will likely be third in the first round and neither Susan nor Marc will have a first-round majority. It will likely be very close.
How soon do committee chair assignments typically happen?
“I think the general consensus is that Cheryl will likely be third in the first round”
Concensus among whom. I know she isn’t one of the “cool” kids but she is the current VP
Claire,
Counting noses.
Looks like things have simplified.