To the editor:
In reference to councilor Bell’s letter to the editor, Mr. Bell points out that a lot of thought went into filling the vacant seat on Caribou City Council. Past history shows that Mr. Bell has never thought of anyone else’s opinion other than his own. He makes reference that the City Council wanted someone with experience that would contribute to the governance process during the short time the seat would be filled until the next election. It is assumed this person would not run for election in the fall, believing it would give him a clear advantage.
Councilor Bell forgets that the very person that the Council picked was at one time a candidate for this elected position and lost. That year a vacancy such as this was filled by this same gentleman because he did garnish the next highest amount of votes during the election process. This same gentleman ran that same year and won that same seat by a legitimate public majority vote.
It was me when I was serving on the Council that pushed the issue that the next highest vote-getter at the last election should be the one to fill the seat and they reluctantly went along with me to accept that gameplan. That being said, the gentleman that accepted the position (I might add that he has done this before) in good conscience should have refused unless the next highest vote-getters at the last election would have refused an offer for said position. Only then should he have accepted.
This should not be a game of follow the leader. Councilor Bell has always had an uncanny way of getting his way with the Council and I have to compliment him on his ability to do that but is this in the best interest of the citizens of Caribou?
I would also like to add that the next highest vote recipient lost by a very small margin and this was one of the closest votes of our time. I beg to differ with Mr. Bell that the people apparently didn’t want him. By not accepting this person with the next highest votes to fill this vacant seat this Council went against the will of a respectable amount of citizens of this community and that to me is unacceptable and an insult.
Attention … a tsunami is about to hit Caribou in the form of a property tax bill.
Wilfred Martin
Caribou
