LEWISTON — City councilors are scheduled to consider removing Ward 6 Councilor David Chittim as president of the council on Tuesday.

The action, according to the Tuesday council meeting agenda, is to rescind the council’s Jan. 5 vote electing Chittim as council president. 

Ward 7 Councilor Bret Martel requested the item be placed on the agenda after the council discovered July 6 that Chittim was seeking alternative funding for a city position that was eliminated from the council’s final budget in May.

Martel also requested a follow-up item to elect a new council president whose term would end Jan. 4, 2027. 

In the final budget, the council voted to eliminate the position of director of economic and community development.

Chittim told the Sun Journal after the July 6 meeting that his intentions were to gather information on the possibility of reversing the decision and hopefully find funding to restore the position.

He said the city charter allows the council to revisit aspects of an approved budget once the new fiscal year begins, which was July 1.

Chittim also responded then to councilors’ calls for his removal as council president saying 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 said. “My goal was to gather information and find funding that would bring this back to the council for reconsideration.”

Mayor Carl Sheline referred to the potential ousting as “petty and silly.”

“Councilor Chittim has done nothing to warrant his removal from the position of council president,” Sheline said. “I wish that we could focus our energy on economic development and other priorities for our city. Instead, we spend our time on election year antics and grandstanding.”

The council meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. in City Hall at 27 Pine St. The meeting is available via streaming on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@cityoflewistonme9586.