AUBURN — A disagreement over City Council decorum and attire has two councilors angry at the incoming mayor.
Mayor-elect Dick Gleason said Tuesday he stands by statements he made last month calling for neater dress at City Council meetings.
"I'm not asking for a jacket and tie," Gleason said. "All I'm saying is that I've seen instances where councilors came to meetings in jeans and shorts. I think it's up to us as city leaders to set an example, especially for children who watch us."
Councilors on Monday later voted to downsize the Dec. 7 inauguration, a move one councilor said was being done to punish the mayor-elect.
Councilors Dan Herrick and Mike Farrell said they were offended by some pre-election comments Gleason made to the Danville Grange last month. Speaking at an Oct. 8 candidate forum, Gleason said he wanted to see more decorum at City Council meetings, beginning with how councilors dress.
"I think there have been times when they've come directly from the barn to the City Council meeting, and I don't think that's how it should be," Gleason told Grange members. "I think they should take a shower and at least put on a shirt."
Herrick, a contractor by trade, took offense at that.
"I have never come here without taking a shower," Herrick said Monday night."Believe it or not, I have hot water, too. I even have floors in my home."
Clothes don't make the man, Herrick said.
"I had a mind tonight to come here in bib overalls and straw hat, and just walk out of the barn without taking a shower," Herrick said. "This guy here is not wearing a suit, coat and a tie to do a good job. And if anybody out there feels they want me to wear a suit, coat and tie, in the next election in two more years, please come forward in a suit, coat and a tie and run against me."
Gleason said he stands by his Oct. 8 statements. He is meeting individually with city councilors, and is giving them copies of the city's employee manual concerning attire and meeting conduct.
"I'm asking what they think about that," Gleason said. He's not trying to get a legal dress code passed, but he wants councilors to be more aware of how they dress.
"I don't think councilors should be above the rules of behavior we expect of our employees," Gleason said. "They should represent the best the city has to offer in all ways. So, I stand by what I said. I don't think I'm barking up the wrong tree."
Farrell said he objected to being presented with the city's employee dress code.
"I don't feel that I am an employee of the City of Auburn," Farrell said. "If I come into the meeting with my clothes all torn up and my shoes on the wrong feet, am I going to get written up?"
Gleason and the City Council are scheduled to be sworn in Dec. 7, and the city usually turns the event into a celebration. But councilors said nobody being sworn in next month is new to the job. A big inauguration is wasted, they said.
"I'd rather see that money go to something worthwhile," Farrell said. "We had people that couldn't heat their homes last winter and now we're going to have a big party? I think it makes more sense to take that money and put it into the heating assistance fund."
City Manager Glenn Aho said Central Maine Community College was donating the space for the inauguration, but the city had planned to spend up to $2,000 for catered refreshments.
Councilor David Young urged councilors to simply cut the catering.
"Otherwise, we're just doing this to upset the mayor-elect," Young said. "Maybe that's the intention of all this, to upset him because he's upset all of us."
Councilors voted 4-2 to cut the catering and move the inauguration to Auburn Hall. Gleason said that was a shame.
"If we're that concerned about costs, just cut the refreshments," he said. "We don't need them, but we do need to celebrate Auburn. And that's what this is: an opportunity for the residents to celebrate Auburn."
They are paid for what they do by the city, so they are indeed city employees. Therefore they should definitely have to abide by the same rules everyone else does.
They may represent the "working man" but if I showed up to work dressed in jeans and shorts I wouldn't have to worry about showing up much longer. Just go get a pair of Khakis and a button down shirt and quit your bitchin'.
Heck, maybe Santa can bring you guys a suit.
This is the top story yesterday AND today? I had no idea this was such an important issue!
I have a suggestion - give them all uniforms they can keep on site for a quick change before meetings.
People are loseing homes and you people are worried about wearing three piece suits?
the people that dress causual pay the taxes Save your suits for the Ball
The councilors in question have obviously never heard of"Dress for Success". Are these the kind of people you want visitors or potential business developers to watch on TV, representing "our" city? I say "put your best foot forward , dumb asses"!LOL
Save your battles for the real stuff comeing like higher taxes job lost we had enough stuff shirts already
HERRICK is offended? Isn't he the councilor that voted on an issue that he later financially benefitted from? THAT"S offensive! The dress code is moot concerning Herrick anyway because you can't put a tuxedo on a t~rd.
I am so ashamed of Auburn's councilmen!! Do we not have more important things to discuss during meetings?... C'mon people...I think this is childish.
I do however agree with there decision to move to Inauguration to city hall.....I hope they put that $2000 dollars to good use How about bathroom doors for the rest of the bathrooms at ELHS? I wonder what the dress code for the inauguration will be? ? I wonder how many will show up in muddy boots with there coveralls and grease stained hands....not to mention how many will not be freshly showered....oh I wish I could be there!! I see some retaliation coming to this mayor every chance they get!!
Farrell and Herrick seemingly have no dignity.
Absolutely hilarious! Gleason has a point, let's be professional. But I've got to give Herrick credit for a very amusing retort. Farrell just thinks he's something else, his arrogance just shouts "I'm the GD president of the United States! And if >I< want to wear bermuda shorts, be damned to anyone who gets in my way!" Very pleased that Gleason called these two out, obviously they are the ones he was talking about. As I said, the mayor's right - a city councilor should appear at a public meeting in somewhat professional attire to uphold the dignity of the position they were elected to.
Farrell and Herrick think they have done good. In my opinion, they haven't. Just done a fine job of ruining our schools and increasing decrepit roads in our city. Good job, guys. Nobody wants to move to a town with crummy schools and crummy roads. Sometimes you have to spend to make things better. They just don't get it.
Is the Auburn Council going to act like children just like the Lewiston Council did, and they where wearing suits and nice clothes.
The Auburn Council needs to grow up. If they don't want to wear proper atire, then they don't need to be on the council looking like bums and we don't need to have people thinking the city is run by bums or adults acting like children.
g2bn2n - They don't have to do the city's business or dress discreetly. They're not employees, although I think someone here said they were paid. Didn't say who paid them, however. So they should be allowed to come unshaven, without a shirt to show off their manly, hairy chests and in flip flops. And with their junkyard dog. That's where the madness ends.
Clothes and pettiness, does not make the individual, or the leader; perhaps the mayor-elect should more wisely pick and choose his battles!
Come on people! You are a leader in your City! Grow up and wear the proper attire! Dress attire sets the stage as far as I'm concerned.
Come on people! You are a leader in your City! Grow up and wear the proper attire! Dress attire sets the stage as far as I'm concerned.
I agree with the mayor. It's well proven those who have dress codes in school are better behaved and those who dress for success are usually more successful.
Guys, this isn't a poker game. You're representing your constituents and I, for one, would appreciate you being taken seriously. City business is serious business.
How much are councilors paid, BTW?
They get $2520 per year.
http://www.auburnmaine.org/vertical/Sites/%7BAE7B40C4-E913-4A46-9E65-09C... scroll down to p. 92
I agree with the mayor 100%!
During campaigning, what you see is generally what you get. If they campaign a suit and tie, then that's their gig, if dressed casually then that's who they are. And that's who people vote for. I'm just grateful we don't have a pencil thumper on the council like they do in Lewiston.
Oh great I can see it now...next Councilors will be required to be clean shaven as well. These folks should be selected because of their ability to make appropriate and necessary decisions...that is their job. Show me where it says a well dressed individual is more capable of doing this than someone in jeans and shorts. C'mon people...where will the madness end?
city council meeting not bootcamp
Just when you thought it was safe to go to the new improved Lewiston city council meetings Auburn's pettiness takes center stage!
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Professionals don't need to
Professionals don't need to be told how to dress for official occasions. Councilors who have a problem with wearing appropriate attire should be ashamed of themselves rather than combative. The City is essentially a business. Businesses have dress codes for a reason. If some councilors don't know what that reason is, they're not willing to present themselves as professionals and therefore should resign. If they can't even manage to dress themselves properly, God knows what else they do in meetings.