Lynn ballot finalized for September preliminary election

LYNN – City Council candidates outlined their top concerns Monday as the deadline for returning nomination papers solidified the campaign roster for the Sept. 17 preliminary election.Declared candidates for city office ranging from Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy to School Committee candidate Melissa Romaniello complied with Monday?s 4 p.m. deadline for submitting local voters? signatures for certification by city election officials. The submission deadline solidifies the list of local residents running for city office.The Lynn Community Association scheduled five candidate forums for the summer with the first scheduled for July 10 at 7 p.m. at Temple Ahabat Shalom on Ocean Street. The forum for City Councilor at large candidates will feature a series of candidate questions.Association President Mary Trahan, in a statement, said a forum for mayoral candidates featuring Kennedy and Council President Timothy Phelan is scheduled for July 24 at 7 p.m. at Ahabat Shalom with a School Committee forum scheduled for Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. and a ward council forum scheduled for Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.Councilor at large Daniel Cahill said economic development, education and public safety are top concerns to local residents. Former councilor at large and senior care executive Paul Crowley said he is focusing his campaign on improving cooperation between city government, businesses and residents.Ward 5 candidate Seth Albaum said the council needs to craft an updated city trash ordinance and help provide city departments with enough money to “fairly enforce ordinances.”Albaum lives downtown and he is running against Thistle Street resident Dianna Chakoutis and Hanover Street resident Jake Keo in a race that will see one of the three candidates knocked off the ballot when voters go to the polls on Sept. 17.Cahill and fellow councilors at large Gordon “Buzzy” Barton and Hong Net, and Ward 5 Councilor Brendan Crighton face four candidates seeking to grab an at large seat, including Crowley, Historical Commission member Aikaterini Koudanis, and 2011 at large candidates Robert Clay Walsh and Miguel Funez.Funez favors rolling back bar closing times from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. as part of a city initiative he said is needed to assist local businesses.?Revenue and taxes can?t be built on the backs of business,” Funez said.Like Ward 3 candidate and local attorney Ronald Mendes, Funez wants to see the city build additional schools after it completes work on a new Marshall Middle School. Proposed for construction on Brookline Street, the new Marshall is scheduled to open in September 2016.?The number one priority building a new middle school – nothing is more important for the past 10 to 15 years or the next 10 to 15 years,” said Ward 3 Councilor Darren Cyr.Barton said his candidacy will focus on proposals to build up Lynn?s waterfront and “as always – public safety” and Crighton said he will focus his campaign on constituent services, and downtown and waterfront development.?Success can be measured by quality of life in neighborhoods,” he said.