I write to share thoughts on the recent attempt by some Lewiston city councilors to change the council rules.

The change would place limits on current Mayor Carl Sheline’s ability to debate and express his views.

It appears some councilors’ feelings may have been hurt. In response to this and under the cloak of darkness, the council president engaged the city attorney for assistance in creating a change to the council rules. This was done with only a few councilors being aware that the city attorney had been hired. This rule change would have changed over 100 years of tradition in Lewiston.

Politics here in Lewiston can at times be messy, and whether people agree with any individual mayor’s vision or not, Lewiston citizens have always supported the mayor’s right to be an active member of the council, including taking part in debates.

As many know, for over a decade I have served in every elected position in the city of Lewiston, including being elected mayor in 2019. During my service to the community, I worked directly with three different mayors, all of which were known to take an active role in shaping and debating policy.

I encourage the residents of Lewiston to pay close attention in the coming weeks as the council works behind closed doors to address this. I hope they join me in supporting Mayor Sheline and, more importantly, future mayors, who should continue to represent all of Lewiston as an integral part of the City Council.

Mark Cayer, Minot

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