Name: Robert J. Cronin

Age: 54

Occupation: Assistant Deputy Superintendent, Middlesex Sheriff's Office, Marine Unit Commander

Years in Newburyport: 20

Why are you running for the City Council?

One of the reasons I chose to run for City Council is that Newburyport is entering an exciting "second redevelopment" phase. Over the last 28 years, I have gained the needed experience through working on both public (school expansion, water/sewer planning, parking and traffic) and private (subdivisions, multifamily and commercial) projects while representing the Town of Andover as the Safety Officer. I am looking forward to bringing this valuable experience to the table to support the decision-making process for Newburyport.

Does the downtown need a parking garage, and if so, where should it go?

No one has asked the hard questions yet. What is the NRA's final parking plan? What is New England Development doing? The Waterfront Trust has introduced and implemented a Pay and Display system. All these entities need to sit down with the city at the same table and come up with a viable solution; the parking issue cannot be decided in a vacuum. Further, the financial burden of a garage and its operations cannot be placed on the taxpayers of Newburyport. We could potentially look to NE Development as a potential solution.

With another cut to local aid possibly coming, where is an area the city can become more efficient or cut costs?

We have to look at regionalization of capital items and some services. This effort must be fair and equitable to Newburyport and must at minimum maintain current service levels. We must also expand and develop public/private partnerships. This could be explored with a parking garage, for example.

In the city's charter, do you favor the current form of city government and if so, how long should terms be for mayors and councilors?

Charter reform is a ballot question, and if passed, the review's recommendations will be presented to residents for approval. I fully support the ballot question and will form an opinion when the final report is published.

What is a specific issue in your ward/the city you want to address in the coming term, and how?

Ward 3 has multiple issues that need attention and must be addressed. These include Waterfront West, the garage, the senior center, an updated wind conversion ordinance and the stalled Towle project. We need a renewed focus toward ongoing infrastructure maintenance, which needs to be strengthened and supported as an important priority.

Name: Dawne Shand

Age: 39

Occupation: Writer

Years in Newburyport: seven

Family: Brian Krisler, scientist at BBN Technologies, Mae Krisler, kindergartner at Brown School, and Heather Shand (sister and Ward 3 resident), engineer at GE Aircraft Engines in Lynn.

Why are you running for the City Council?

Despite negativity about politics and the pitfalls of a public life, you could not ask for more interesting and thought-provoking work than what city council tackles. Zoning variances for wind turbines or debt exclusions for a senior center might seem small, but they speak to much larger questions of what kind of community we want to be.

Does the downtown need a parking garage, and if so, where should it go?

Yes, it would make the downtown more accessible. But where it goes comes second to when should it be built and how can it be funded? Until the waterfront parking spots go away — and there isn't yet money to build anything there — the downtown parking crunch won't be critical, just inconvenient.

With another cut to local aid possibly coming, where is an area the city can become more efficient or cut costs?

With the recession, municipal finances are in such dire straits that City Hall will not penny-pinch its way to covering the predicted deficit for next year. Administering shared services at a regional level offers the best and hardest path toward savings. Overcoming a history of competition between communities — for residents, investment, prestige — will require negotiating savvy and creativity.

In the city's charter, do you favor the current form of city government and if so, how long should terms be for mayors and councilors?

As it stands, the question will be decided by the charter review committee we are electing, not City Council. I do advocate the professionalization of personnel and financial management at City Hall, an overall reduction in the complexity of governance and greater accountability.

What is a specific issue in your ward/the city you want to address in the coming term, and how?

Winter parking at Cushing Park. Residents feel frustrated by the catch-22 of being forced into a lot that cannot accommodate present parking needs and is slated as the future senior center. I'm confident a reasonable solution exists to its overcrowding during the approximate 14 days when we endure a parking ban.