October, 2013
Central District voters will vote for two of the three candidates for district council and this year’s election. Two incumbents are running for re-election (Atkinson and Ferry) and the former district councilor (Jack Cronin) is running for his old seat after being term limited from running two years ago.
Cronin topped the ticket each year he ran for Central District City Council.
JAMIE ATKINSON – Atkinson is finishing his first term on the city council. He was heavily embroiled in the city solicitor scandal where he was getting information and questions texted to him by the fired City Solicitor, Peter McQuillan.
Atkinson was publicly interviewing candidates for city solicitor asking irrelevant and embarrassing questions to sabotage the process to replace McQuillan, in an effort to resubmit the fired solicitor’s name for reappointment.
He came in second to Lisa Yarid Ferry two years ago.
LISA YARID FERRY – Lisa Yarid Ferry is a very popular city councilor who doesn’t get involved in controversy or shenanigans behind the scenes. She topped the ticket two years ago and has aligned herself with mayoral candidate Jen Kannan.
She voted against Attorney Richard D’Agostino to replace fired City Solicitor, Peter McQuillan. But she didn’t seem to be involved in the shenanigans that took place in that controversy. She conducts herself with civility and treats other councilors with respect whether she agrees with them or not.
JACK CRONIN – Methuen City Councilor John Cronin has been on and off the council for more than twenty-two years. Despite being targeted by Mayor Manzi and the political insiders for defeat in 2005, he topped the ticket beating out six other candidates.
When he returned to the council eight years ago, Cronin was one of the most outspoken critics of Mayor Manzi and his handling of the police department, in particular Police Chief Joe Solomon and his management style.
Insiders say he is only running for the seat again to continue his campaign against Solomon; but with Mayor Manzi no longer in office and the controversies with Joe Solomon put to rest by the current city council, Cronin will have no platform to do so.
He has been a strong advocate of public safety for decades and chose not to take his city council pay in 2009 when cuts were being made to the city budget.
He has the endorsement of his former colleague and City Council President, Phil Lahey, and Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan as well as several former and current elected officials.