LEWISTON – A disagreement over city councilors’ roles is highlighting tension between one councilor and City Administrator Jim Bennett.

Councilors are scheduled to meet with the city attorney in executive session Tuesday night to discuss what roles and responsibilities they have according to City Charter.

City Councilor Denis Theriault said it stems from a city department head meeting he attended last week. Theriault said he attended the Wednesday morning meeting uninvited and sat quietly in a corner.

“I was just there to listen, to observe, and I didn’t say anything,” Theriault said. Bennett approached him after the meeting and said that he was not supposed to be there and that personnel matters could have been discussed.

“He told me that the meeting was not meant for the public, and I said that I’m not public. I’m a city councilor,” Theriault said. “Nonetheless, he said, I couldn’t be there.”

Bennett later sent an e-mail to city councilors and department heads about the matter, saying that it could lead to a hostile working environment.

“His actions contributed to a hostile environment, not mine,” Theriault said.

But Theriault said the issue points to a deeper conflict between Bennett and councilors.

“I am not satisfied with his performance and I think there are real issues to be discussed,” Theriault said. Theriault said he is confident that he has enough support on the City Council now to buy out Bennett’s contract. According to the City Charter, a simple four-councilor majority can vote to suspend the city administrator, scheduling a public hearing on his job.

“The bottom line is, he is a very smart, very sharp individual,” Theriault said. “But he seems to keep heading us in a direction where he divides the council, rather than letting us work together.”

Councilor Tom Peters said that kind of talk is inappropriate for public discussions.

“It’s an inappropriate way to use people,” Peters said. “If I have a problem, I’ll go to him and discuss it with Mr. Bennett. But to speculate on anything else just isn’t appropriate at this time.”

Councilors Robert Reed, Nelson Peters and Larry Poulin declined to comment. Councilors Tina Bailey and Betty Dube couldn’t not be reached by telephone Monday.

Tuesday’s closed-door meeting, with councilors and the city attorney, will be limited to discussing councilors’ roles according to the charter. Councilors will not talk about Bennett or his job performance, Councilor Tom Peters said. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Peters said the meeting will address other concerns where councilors or the mayor might have overstepped their bounds.

“The issue is what is appropriate conduct,” Peters said. “For example, is it appropriate for a councilor to dictate to a staff member what they should and should not do, or are they required to go through the administrator? Those are the kinds of issues we need to discuss.”

Bennett, contacted Monday afternoon, said he would not attend Tuesday’s executive session.

Councilors have reviewed Bennett’s contract in August for the last two years, and he’s been given a raise by councilors each year since he came to Lewiston in 2002. He was paid $88,500 a year in 2002 and given a three-year contract initially. That contract has been extended by one year each year, until last year. That was the first time councilors voted not to extend Bennett’s contract by one year. His current contract, paying him $110,000 annually, is set to expire in 2011.