LEWISTON – New Mayor Larry Gilbert made a pitch for teamwork – both within and outside of the city of Lewiston – Wednesday during his inauguration speech.

The problem is, most of his team was missing.

A throng of supporters clapped and cheered as Gilbert took the oath of office at Lewiston City Hall. It included friends and family, city staffers and representatives from the city of Auburn.

But most of Gilbert’s new colleagues on the City Council didn’t attend. Those contacted Wednesday afternoon said they had prior commitments that couldn’t be changed.

Only Normand Rousseau, Gilbert’s chief opponent in his bid for the mayor’s chair, and Ward 1 Councilor Stavros Mendros attended Wednesday’s ceremony.

Mendros said there is some tension between some councilors and the new mayor.

“But I think it can be solved, with good leadership,” Mendros said.

Gilbert easily won the seat at the polls Tuesday, with 2,759 votes – 63 percent of the vote. Rousseau had the second-highest vote total with 1,272.

The mayor’s post has been vacant since late November, when Lionel Guay stepped down. Gilbert was the first to throw his hat in the ring and frequently criticized councilors during his campaign. He challenged council efforts to appoint committees to focus on joint services with Auburn and with downtown redevelopment and accused them of overstepping their bounds.

But Wednesday’s speech was different. Gilbert said he was eager to put differences behind him and begin working with the council.

“Today is the day when we all form a new relationship, a relationship carved out of the last few months and yesterday’s special election,” Gilbert said in a prepared statement. “We will inevitably have our differences, but that does not mean we have to be difficult. That is what our public demands of us.”

Mendros said he was looking forward to working with Gilbert.

“He’s made it a point during his campaign that the people were going to get a louder voice in council decisions,” Mendros said. That will lead to longer and louder City Council debates – and that’s a good thing.

“It will be good to really show the debate that goes on, instead of looking like we’re being led,” Mendros said. “Councilors really do make the policy decisions in the city, despite what some people think. I think greater public debate will show that these decisions really are run by the council.”

There is still plenty of tension. Rousseau, Gilbert’s opponent and Ward 7 councilor, said he talked with Gilbert briefly after the ceremony.

“It’s fine to talk about give-and-take, but I haven’t seen him take much from the council,” Rousseau said. “The ball is in his court now. It’s up to him.”

Gilbert said he plans to meet individually with each councilor and with City Administrator Jim Bennett. But he said he was surprised that more councilors didn’t attend.

No shows

Paul Samson, Lewiston’s Ward 5 councilor, said he had emergency dentist appointments that could not be changed. His son, Auburn City Councilor Eric Samson, did attend, however.

“And Eric gave Mr. Gilbert my best wishes, and explained why I wasn’t there,” Samson said. “It was one of those things that could not be helped. If I could have been there, I would have been there.”

Ward 4 Councilor Ron Jean said he regularly schedules his shopping trips to the Brunswick Naval Air Station’s commissary at the same time every Wednesday.

“I’ve been very supportive of Mr. Gilbert,” Jean said. “But my schedule just wouldn’t allow it. I knew about it, but I could not make it.”

Ward 2 Councilor Lillian O’Brien said she missed the meeting because she was sick.

“I had a prior appointment, so I would have missed it anyway,” she said. “But I was sick at home instead.”

Councilor Mark Paradis works in the parts department at Auburn’s Delekto Brothers and said he and his coworkers are getting ready for a major sale there.

“But I’m going to meet up with Larry and we’ll have a nice chat,” Paradis said. “I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Council President Renee Bernier could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

City Administrator Jim Bennett also had a prior commitment – teaching a day-long finance class for the Maine Municipal Association. That class had been rescheduled twice before due to weather problems and could not be rescheduled a third time, according to City Clerk Kathy Montejo.

“I spoke with him this afternoon and explained what had happened,” Bennett said.

The City Council’s first meeting with Gilbert at the helm is scheduled for Tuesday night.