Council: Strong mayor should be elected by majority
Jun. 15—The Lewiston City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would require a majority vote to be elected mayor if the electorate chooses to switch the city to a strong-mayor form of government this November.
If the council goes on to adopt the ordinance, it will check off another box in a lengthy list of contingencies the city must have in place in the event that voters elect to jettison the long-standing city manager form of government. Mayor Mike Collins was joined by Mayor Pro Tem and Councilors Cari Miller and Kevin Kelly in voting for the requirement, while Councilor John Bradbury voted no.
Under the terms of the ordinance, if no candidate for mayor secures a majority of votes, the top two candidates will face each other in a runoff election to be held within 30 days of the general election. The runoff will be conducted at city expense, according to City Attorney Jana Gomez.
Bradbury said he voted no partly because of the expense of a runoff election, and partly because city councilors are elected by a plurality of votes, not a majority.
"There are good arguments on both sides of this issue," he said. "It's nice to come in with one vote more than the majority. But given the expense and how we run the other elections, I tend to come down on the side of not having the second election. Let the person with the most votes prevail."
Mayor Mike Collins partly agreed with Bradbury, but said that if the majority of voters want to change the city's form of government, a majority should elect its mayor.
"I think it's worth the expense to make sure that a majority has chosen who's in office at that point in time," Collins said.
In other business, the council approved amendments to a 43-year-old planned unit development just west of Eighth Street that was opposed by at least one neighbor. Called the Vornholt PUD, the amendments will allow a short section of 21st Avenue to be narrowed by the owners of River City Church to allow the installation of new curb, gutter and sidewalk on the south side of the street, as well as a catch basin to contain runoff.
But resident Ron Orr came to the Monday night council meeting to complain that the improvements would make 21st Avenue too narrow and eliminate on-street parking there. Orr suggested moving the basin to a different location so the street can stay wider. But Pat Severance with the city Public Works Department development office, said the proposed configuration was the most cost-effective solution.
Bradbury voted against the amendments, saying he wanted a chance to hear from more neighbors about the changes.
Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.
