There has been speculation this will be the last time Bill Scanlon stands for re-election. If so, he certainly deserves to see the project that will be the capstone of his many years of service — what is essentially a new Beverly High School — through to completion.
Meanwhile, voters should hope there is someone equally capable interested in replacing him when he does decide to call it quits. That person is not Ward 3 City Councilor John Burke, the current challenger.
Though he has a devoted following in his own neighborhood, Burke's inexperience and past actions, which drew a rare vote of censure from colleagues, make him a poor choice to lead the city in these very difficult times.
Scanlon, on the other hand, has proven a capable administrator throughout his tenure. He has balanced residents' desire to maintain Beverly's suburban character with the need to encourage the new growth so vital to maintaining a stable tax base.
He has overseen the renovation of all but one of the city's schools and was almost single-handedly responsible for attracting the massive investment that turned the derelict USM Corp. factory complex into the modern Cummings Center. Over the next two years, thanks in large measure to his efforts, residents can look forward to the long-awaited redevelopment of the waterfront at the other end of the city's revitalized downtown.
Scanlon's sometimes prickly personality — and yes, he should have shaken Burke's hand when it was extended at Tuesday night's forum in Centerville — has not prevented him from establishing a good working relationship with a majority of the council. And that trust has paid major dividends in terms of the kinds of zoning and fiscal policies needed to channel development to those areas of the city with the infrastructure to support it and keep the municipal budget on an even keel.
Contrary to what his critics, including Burke, maintain, we believe Scanlon when he says the high-school renovations, essential to maintaining the school's accreditation, will be completed without putting undue strain on city spending or borrowing capacity. And we have full confidence he can come up with a plan to finance Beverly's share of the new, state-of-the-art regional vocational school in Danvers.
Scanlon, in his typically blunt style, said in response to a question Tuesday that he's not interested in talking about his legacy.
But look around at the updated classrooms in the city's elementary schools, a restored Beverly Common surrounded by the Montserrat College of Art and Beverly Public Library that has the look and feel of a college quad, the expanding Endicott College campus along Route 127, and the new academic wing nearing completion on the high-school campus on Sohier Road. Think about the opportunities that will be afforded future generations of Beverly students at the new vocational school.
In his 14 years in the corner office, Scanlon has had a hand in all of it. This product of a blue-collar family who graduated from MIT and Harvard Business School knows, perhaps more than most, the value of a good education, and his tenure will certainly reflect that.
The Beverly City Council's ability to see the big picture and act accordingly is what differentiates it from most. That's a good reason to return veteran incumbents Patricia Grimes and Bill Coughlin, and bring back Paul Guanci, who presided over that body for five years before opting to take a couple of years off, in 2007.
Also worthy of second terms are Kevin Hobin in Ward 4 and Judith Cronin in Ward 6. The latter has distinguished herself this year by working with tax-exempt entities such as Endicott and the Landmark School to increase the amount of money they contribute to the city.
In the race to replace Burke as the Ward 3 council representative, we believe James Latter's experience on the School Committee gives him the edge. As was the case with Cronin, his knowledge of school spending practices and operations should prove valuable when it comes to reviewing the budget and pushing for further consolidation of city and school functions.
Like councilor-at-large candidate Elliott Margolis, Gail Burke was instrumental in beating back an ill-advised effort to override Proposition 21รขÑ2 in 2006. But serving on the School Committee involves more than just saying no, and in her first term as the Ward 4 representative on that body, Karen Fogarty has impressed with her ability to balance the desire of parents for the best education possible with current budget realities. She deserves re-election.
