LEWISTON — The City Council on Tuesday appointed Jama Mohamed to serve as the Ward 5 representative until the end of year.
The appointment came after Luke Jensen resigned earlier this month, with just three months left on his term.
The council voted 5-0-1 Tuesday on Mohamed’s appointment, with Lee Clement abstaining.
The city received five applications to fill the seat, including three candidates whose names will appear on the November ballot for the next two-year term: Laurier Pease, Amy Sanchez and Charles Soule.
However, councilors said that following some pushback about appointing Ward 2 Councilor Caleb Roebuck to the vacant seat leading up to the election, they wanted to prioritize a short-term solution.
Clement made a motion to appoint Matthew Agren, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, but then withdrew it.
Several councilors said they supported Mohamed’s appointment due to his experience on the School Committee, where he served from 2013-2015.
Councilor Alicia Rea said constituents of Ward 5 have been deprived of representation, and Mohamed has represented them before.
City Administrator Heather Hunter said he will likely serve for three regular meetings of the City Council, and an undetermined number of workshops.
She said Mohamed will receive a “mini orientation” to bring him up to speed as much as possible.
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