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Incumbents Gerald
Durkin, Bernie Lemoine, Kathleen Kelley, Curtis LeMay & Richard
O'Malley all failed to
win re-election (O'Malley finished 19th in the primary and was not
included in the November election).
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Incumbent Robert Kennedy
resigned from the council in June 1993 when he was selected as
administrator of the Lowell Regional Transit Authority. He was
replaced on the council by Ray Rourke who had finished 10th in the
prior election. He was not a candidate in this year's
election.
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There were 30 candidates
in the primary election.
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Richard Howe was elected
mayor on an 8 to 1 vote (Poulios voting for Caulfield).
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The school committee was
newcomers Michael Gallagher, Tim Golden, James Kennedy, and
incumbents George Kouloheras, Kathryn Stoklosa and Regina Faticanti.
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Incumbent school
committee members Henry Mroz and Ken Powers were defeated.
Powers had joined the committee ten months earlier to replace Ray
Riddick, who resigned to take a job in California.
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Incumbent school
committee member Steve Panagiotakos did not seek re-election, having
been elected state representative in 1992 (defeating Susan Rourke,
daughter-in-law of former mayor, city councilor & state
representative Raymond Rourke).
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From "The
Column" (Lowell Sun) in Jan 1993, ten months before this
election: "Live cable broadcasts could spell election worries for
some" "As a result of the live coverage [of city
council meetings], some observers believe that as many as five city
councilors could fall if credible challengers surface."
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On July 12, 1994, the
council defeated a motion to fire city manager Richard Johnson with
Bud Caulfield, Michael Geary, Laurie Machado & Tarsy Poulios
voting to fire the manager and councilors Matt Donahue, Steve Gendron,
Richard Howe, Larry Martin & Grady Mulligan voting not to fire
him.
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In June 1995, the state
disbanded its Financial Advisory Board that had been established three
years earlier to control Lowell's finances when the city was $13
million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy.
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The council's refusal to
erect stop signs on Clark Road became a major issue in the race, or at
least for the Lowell Sun which interpreted the stop sign vote as an
example of "the complete and continuing inability of the City
Council to deal with the legitimate needs and concerns of neighborhood
residents." (September 2, 1993 editorial - note: The
then-publisher of the Sun lived on Clark Road and strongly favored the
stop signs).
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Four referendum
questions also appeared on the ballot
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Question 1 - Do you
support keeping the present Plan E form of government?
Yes-8,234. No-8,779.
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Question 2 - Do you
support a change in the city charter to provide for an elected mayor
as chief executive instead of an appointed city manager?
Yes-10,0441. No-6,760.
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Question 3 - Do you
support a charter change that would provide for district councilors
instead of elections at large? Yes-6,841. No-9,213.
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Question 4 - Do you
support a limit on terms of all elected officials in the city of
Lowell to a maximum of 4 two-year terms in office?
Yes-11,946. No-5,093.
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On February 15, 1994,
the Wang Towers were sold at foreclosure auction for $525,000 despite
an assessed value of $42 million.