Drama in races for mayor and council

LYNN – Months of doorknocking, handshaking and sign holding will come to an end tomorrow when voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide who will run the city for the next few years.The job of mayor has largely been a non-partisan position but political party lines were drawn this year with the unabashedly Republican incumbent Judith Flanagan Kennedy and challenger City Council President and Democrat Timothy Phelan.They are candidates who at times have had parallel backgrounds – both served on the School Committee before serving as councilors at large, both are married with two children and are roughly the same age. Yet both also found distinct clash points.Kennedy claims the city is better off than it was four years ago. Phelan believes it could be better and spelled out his vision in his InvestLynn plan. That vision includes offering year round pre-kindergarten by utilizing school space that is empty in the summer. Kennedy is not convinced it is a viable idea.The two also jousted over rolling back bar closing times, how best to keep Union Hospital open to all and site plan review. Kennedy supports rolling back bar closings from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. for a trial 90-day period, but Phelan said he would continue to support Police Chief Kevin Coppinger, who opposes the change. While Phelan has formed an oversight committee regarding Partners HealthCare’s plans to re-configure Union Hospital, Kennedy said she has met daily with Partners and has made it clear the city opposes the changes.Kennedy also called council efforts to impose a new site plan review, an oversight effort involving a number of city agencies, a new level of bureaucracy that developers don’t need. But Phelan said site plan review would lead to sustainability and credited it for bringing Ernie’s Harvest to the downtown.The most publicized clash of the season continues to play out in court and involves a computer taken by mayoral IT consultant Ken Weeks at Kennedy’s request, from the City Council office the night of the primary.Weeks was called before the council to answer questions regarding the incident and did so for 70 minutes before abruptly leaving with his attorney, George Hazel. Hazel is now attempting, via court, to squash an further questioning of his client by the city.The battle for mayor is likely the most visible race of the election, but it is hardly the only one.Council racesAn architect with a historical preservation bent, a Latino focused on supporting new and small businesses, a bartender with waterfront experience, a current ward councilor and former councilor at large are vying amongst three incumbents for four councilor at large seats.Incumbents Buzzy Barton, Hong Net and Daniel Cahill will face off against Aikaterini Koudanis Panagiotakis and Miguel Funez, who, along with Clay Walsh, has previously bid for an at large seat. Brendan Crighton, who was forced to give up his Ward 5 seat when he bought a home just over the line in Ward 4, and Paul Crowley, who lost his seat in 2011, are also in the race.Five out of seven ward council contests will also be decided by voters on Tuesday.Ten-year council veteran Wayne Lozzi and political newcomer Debra Plunkett found Union Hospital’s reorganization emerge as a top voter concern earlier this month. Both candidates vowed to keep full hospital services in Lynn, but they offered competing views over how a Ward 1 councilor can monitor the Boulderwood subdivision, which is under construction in Peabody but bordering Lynn.In Ward 2, incumbent Councilor William Trahant, Jr. pushed for more Public Works hiring during summer council budget sessions, angrily insisting the department does not have enough workers, especially plow drivers. His opponent, Jesse Jaeger, is a school improvement advocate making his first run for public office by getting to know East Lynn voters.Ronald Mendes also mounted his first political campaign in Ward 3 this year after working as a Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce member to push for impr