AUBURN – City councilors and Mayor Normand Guay sparred Monday night over councilor roles, interpretations of the City Charter and combining city departments.

Guay refused to let councilors vote on or even discuss a seconded motion at the tail-end of Monday’s meeting.

The impromptu motion would have combined the city Economic Development and Planning and Permitting departments. Economic Development Director Roland Miller served as head of planning before, and City Councilor Belinda Gerry said he would do a good job as head of a combined department.

But Guay said councilors were overreaching, discussing something that was none of their business. Councilors could recommend that City Manager Pat Finnigan consider combining departments, but they could not require her to do it.

“The council does not have that authority according to my reading of the City Charter,” Guay said. “It is not the council’s job to name department heads. That is reserved for the city manager.”

Gerry and Councilor Bob Mennealy disagreed, saying the charter didn’t limit them in that area. The matter never went off the table, although councilors did adjourn the regular meeting and reconvene in a workshop to talk about it. They agreed to get a legal opinion on council authority in the matter and discuss it at a later date.

Gerry and Mennealy first brought up the idea at the council’s Dec. 20 meeting, and Gerry requested the item be put on a future agenda. It didn’t appear on Monday’s agenda, however, so Gerry brought it up at the end of the meeting.

Councilor Kelly Matzen, who didn’t attend the Dec. 20 meeting, was dismayed at the idea.

“It’s unfair to other councilors to bring this up now,” Matzen said. “I haven’t had a chance to consider it and Bethel (Shields, councilor for Ward 1) isn’t even here. Something like this should be discussed by the whole council.”

“Council business continues, even if everyone is not here,” said Councilor Donna Lyons Rowell. “We have to carry on.”

Planning Department Director Lee Feldman resigned in November, one of three top department heads to resign last year. Finnigan said she hoped to give councilors an update next week on two other jobs, that of the assistant city manager and finance director.

But Finnigan said she has not advertised to replace Feldman.