LEWISTON — Tensions erupted at Tuesday’s City Council meeting when Council President David Chittim of Ward 6 acknowledged he had been working to find a way to fund a director of economic development position despite the council’s earlier vote to eliminate it from the budget.

“My feeling is that for Lewiston not to have a director of economic development is shortsighted and I have been moving heaven and earth to try and figure out a way through the limitations of our charter and our council rules to make that happen,” Chittim said. 

“Against the will of the supermajority of the council,” Ward 1 Councilor Joshua Nagine interjected.

“I have,” Chittim replied. “I’m a member of the council and I feel that the council made an error and for me to sit quietly and not do anything about that is a dereliction of my responsibility.”

Nearly all councilors were outraged by Chittim’s actions, several agreeing that he was working behind the council’s back to reverse a decision that was made by a supermajority vote.

“This is why the city doesn’t think we’re transparent and doesn’t trust us,” said Ward 5 Councilor Chrissy Noble. “Decisions like this are made behind everybody’s back. … This is the underhanded stuff that the city is sick of. Our constituents are sick of this.”

Nagine said Tuesday that working against the wishes of a majority of the council is disrespectful, and puts city staff in a tough position.

“When that person holds a position of trust as the council liaison to administration, contrary direction or interference threatens to disrupt important city work, puts our city employees in an untenable position, and can undermine trust amongst the body, city staff, and the public which we all serve,” he said.

Mayor Carl Sheline said he has supported efforts to find funding for an economic development director and that the “11th-hour decision” by the council to eliminate the position was misguided.

As a critical position for the city, lumping the position in with another department “in some forced and contrived reorganization” does not serve the city.

“We will continue to lose economic development staff and deals if we don’t treat the department with respect for the role it plays in economic development for Lewiston, Maine’s second largest city,” Sheline said.

Chittim was asked by Ward 2 Councilor Susan Longchamps if he would cease to seek funding for the position. He said he would, but maintained the council made the wrong decision.

Chittim said Wednesday that he regrets that fellow council members would believe he was working behind the scenes to circumvent the council’s vote. 

“Last night’s denunciation of me at the end of the meeting came as a surprise to me. … I’m actually hurt that anyone who knows me believes that I could even think that,” Chittim said in a phone call.

“I want it to be crystal clear on the record that my goal was to gather information and find funding that would bring this back to the council for reconsideration.”

Chittim said the city charter provides the opportunity to revisit aspects of the approved budget once the next fiscal year begins, July 1 in Lewiston’s case. 

“That’s the goal I was working for, was to follow the guidelines and the rules in the charter,” Chittim said. “(Then I would) bring forth to the council information and a funding source that would allow it then to reconsider whether or not it still feels that economic development does not need a guiding force on the third floor.”

Clearly, that is not how councilors took the news, he said.

Ward 3 Councilor Scott Harriman was one of two votes against the elimination of the position. Regardless, he said, the decision of the council should be respected.

“This is not the first time Council President Chittim has tried to impose his will over that of elected or appointed officials,” Harriman said. “He tends to use his elevated position to advocate for his personal priorities instead of following established rules and procedures and working with the rest of the team.”

Longchamps said in an email that the council’s decision to eliminate the position from the budget came from an understanding that many cities Lewiston’s size have found success in reorganizing multiple departments under one director.

The approach can improve communication, streamline processes and create better experiences for residents and businesses, she said. 

“I believe (Chittim’s) approach has been completely unacceptable. … We are a governing body that functions as a team, and every councilor deserves to be informed of significant discussions that impact council decisions,” Longchamps said. “While Counselor Chittim may be accustomed to working independently, serving on the City Council requires collaboration, transparency, and respect for the entire body.”

Ward 7 Councilor Bret Martel posted to Facebook an email he wrote to the council calling for a vote to remove Chittim as council president and to replace him with Longchamps.

“We cannot have a council president that openly advocates for both ignoring the character that we all swore an oath to uphold and has demonstrated a desire to underhandedly circumvent votes made by this council in an open session,” the email said. 

Martel added in an email to the Sun Journal that “it’s simply unacceptable that the current council president would endeavor behind the backs of the entire council, to change the outcome of a vote held in open session simply because he did not personally agree with it. That is certainly not in the job description.”

Longchamps said though she always intended to fill the role of a city councilor only, she would accept a nomination for the city council president role if called upon. 

In a response to other councilors, Chittim said that the council is “free to replace me as president for any reason it sees fit.” 

“While I would prefer not to be recalled, if this is placed on an agenda, I would like it to be crystal clear that I did not scheme to override the council’s vote,” Chittim wrote, adding in an interview that he would not take kindly to any councilor conducting themselves in the same way he’s been accused of.

“To be honest with you, if I found that a counselor was doing what they think I was doing, I would do everything I can to censure him, and to remove him or her from any office he held. I would agree with that,” Chittim said.

City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath said his office has not moved forward with any reorganization efforts in case funding can be restored.

“We don’t want to reorganize, change peoples’ positions, and then walk it back,” Kaenrath said, adding that his office was waiting to find out what level of funding they would be working with should the council decide to seek enough to keep the economic development director position.

“But the council was clear last night that the majority is not up to that, so we will be moving forward with proposals for reorganization now.”