Velluci Says Mayor May Be Elected Soon

Acting Cambridge Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci said yesterday he does not expect the Cambridge City Council to be deadlocked much longer on electing a new Mayor for the city.

Since today is a national holiday, the Council will not meet tonight to try and settle the issue.

Split among liberal-independent lines, with acting-mayor Vellucci reported to be the swing vote, the council has failed in two consecutive weeks, and nine ballots to give any one councilor the needed five votes.

"They're going to elect one someday. But you never know what will happen until people make up their minds," Veilucci said yesterday.

Vellucci added that he plans to vote for himself on every ballot, hoping that the liberals will finally make him their choice, as they did two years ago.

In 1976, Vellucci voted "present" on every ballot until finally former City Councilors Barbara Ackerman and David Clem joined forces with Vellucci and City Councilor Saundra Graham to end the dealock, 21 ballots later.

No Deals

Vellucci said that he has not been talking to anyone about the election and that he wasn't "making any deals."

After last week's meeting, several convention members said they were not considering giving Vellucci their votes, as they did two years ago, in return for a promise to support the Convention on several key issues. Thus, the outcome of the election remains a mystery.