City Hall·Lewiston City Council Special Meeting
Lewiston Council to appoint Ward 5 successor after charter dispute
The Lewiston City Council voted to proceed with an appointment process to fill the vacant Ward 5 seat following the resignation of Councillor Iman Osmond. City Attorney Marty Eisenstein advised that the city charter prohibits a special election for this vacancy, requiring the council to appoint a replacement within 30 days. Despite significant debate and public pressure to hold an election or appoint the runner-up, the council chose to follow the charter's appointment provision.
Key points
- The council approved an order discontinuing the residency investigation into former Councillor Iman Osmond by a vote of 7-0.
- City Attorney Marty Eisenstein explained that Section 2.06 of the city charter mandates an appointment by the council or mayor, not a special election, for vacancies occurring less than one year before the next regular municipal election.
- Councillor David Chittim initially moved to schedule a special election, arguing the charter language was flawed, but withdrew the motion after legal and procedural objections.
- The council voted to adopt the appointment process under Section 2.06D, with Councillors Martel and Longchamps favoring a swift appointment of the election runner-up, while others called for a public application process.
- Public commenters, including several from Ward 5, urged the council to appoint the November election runner-up, Wren Sewell, rather than holding a new election or selecting a new candidate.
- Councillor Scott Harriman raised procedural concerns about the timing of the motion, noting the council had received the legal memo only 90 minutes before the meeting.
Next steps
- The council will direct staff to develop a process for filling the Ward 5 vacancy, potentially including an application period and public interviews, to be reported at a future meeting.
- The council must make the final appointment decision within 30 days, by February 7, 2026, or the authority to appoint transfers to the mayor.
Where this came from
City of Lewiston, ME YouTube
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.