Flaherty Rejects Mayor Galvin's Debate Challenge

As reported on Woburn Patch, this week Mayor Scott Galvin proposed a debate to mayoral candidates John Flaherty and Patrick Natale. 

Galvin suggested the debate be held Monday, Sept. 9 in the Woburn Memorial High School auditorium. Galvin said the moderator would be David Frank, a managing editor of Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly. Galvin said he will be a "neutral voice" in the debate. 

Today candidate Flaherty said in a statement he was rejected the debate schedule as proposed by Mayor Galvin. 

Flaherty has stated that he is willing to debate when the mayor first issued a challenge for a series of three debates. 

Today, however, Flaherty said in a statement that Galvin "is trying to dominate the time, place, forum, ground rules, issues and moderator without any input from the other two candidates."

“I have personally reached out twice to Mayor Galvin with possible dates, a location and moderator, and I have been waiting for his reply," he said. "He then publicly announces his own date, place, time and moderator without any input or involvement from me or Candidate Natale. This is simply unacceptable.” 

Flaherty added that “there has also been an attempt by Mayor Galvin to exclude candidate Natale." 

"For that reason alone these proposed debates should be flatly rejected as not being fair to all the voters of Woburn who should be able to hear from all qualified mayoral candidates," Flaherty said. 

Galvin's proposal for the debate earlier this week did include Natale. 

Flaherty did say he was willing to debate the mayor but stated that for him to do so the other candidates would need to be involved in setting up the details of the debate. 

“I am looking forward to an open and honest debate with Mayor Galvin and Mr. Natale," he said. "However, unless the three of us are directly involved in the decisions being made as to the specifics for the debate(s), then it will be neither fair nor unbiased. Unfortunately, I am not available for the date the Mayor has proposed, and he would have known that if he would have just asked for my input. The purpose of these debates is to give each of the candidates an opportunity to offer their opinions, as well as solutions, to the most pressing issues affecting our city and all of its residents. It must be held in a mutually-agreed upon forum, and moderated by a completely unbiased and objective intermediary."

Flahery said he would contact Galvin to discuss details of a debate. He, like the mayor, also said he would like to have the participation of Woburn residents and that they have an opportunity to ask questions.