First, we congratulate the two nominees for mayor — Mayor Carlo DeMaria and Alderman Robert Van Campen — who were chosen on Tuesday in the primary election.
Everett voters definitely have been overloaded with ballot choices in the last three months with a casino referendum vote and a special election for US Senate and the State Representative race.
However, the city election on November 5 will mark a watershed event for the City of Everett. The Mayor, City Councilors, and School Committee officials who will be elected will be the first officials under the new city charter.
The mayor’s term will be for four years as opposed to the present two year-term. The City Council will consist of 11 members, as opposed to the present nine members of the Board of Aldermen and 18 members of the City Council.
The campaigning by all candidates in the coming weeks will increase and voters should ask these candidates not only about their concerns, but also about the candidates’ visions for Everett.
Everett voters are fortunate to have a large and diverse field of candidates to choose from in the November election. On the other hand, just last week gutter politics raised its head when an unsigned political flyer was distributed throughout the city with lots of disinformation and negativity about certain city officials and candidates.
We urge all voters to become informed about the candidates and their positions. We for our part at the Everett Independent will continue to provide the news and report the campaigning fairly and honestly.
Every Everett voter should be ready to cast their ballots on November 5 with an informed and knowledgeable understanding of the issues, so that when flyers such as this one described above appear — and you can be sure there will others before election day — they will be able to intelligently distinguish between fact and fiction.