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Lincoln council tables mayoral appointments after 3-2 vote; public criticizes timing
Summary
The council voted 3-2 to table the mayor’s appointments to committees and regional boards, prompting public comment that criticized taking the vote before hearing public comment and raised concerns about institutional knowledge and representation on regional boards.
The City of Lincoln council on Dec. 10 voted 3-2 to table a resolution (item 11r) that would approve the mayor’s appointments to the city’s committees, commissions and external regional boards. Council member Richard Pearl moved to table the item and Council member John Reedy seconded the motion. The roll-call vote was recorded with Pearl and Reedy voting yes, Council member Ben Brown voting no, Council member Whitney Eklund voting yes, and the mayor recording a no vote; the motion to table carried by a 3-2 margin.
Council members who supported tabling said the appointment list had shifted in the days before the meeting and that new council members deserved additional time to discuss assignments and preferences. Council member Pearl said he wanted further dialogue before finalizing placements.
The mayor (speaking in the meeting transcript) responded that delaying the appointments risked leaving Lincoln without representation on regional boards that expect timely appointments, noting the city had been late to regional appointments in the past and had been absent from some boards as a result. The mayor urged the council to consider the practical consequences of a delay.
Following the vote, members of the public criticized the council for holding the vote before public comment on the item. A caller identified in the transcript as Alyssa urged the council to consider the institutional knowledge needed for some regional seats and warned that new council members may lack background that incumbents hold. Byron Chapman, a longtime resident, also urged the council to preserve cohesiveness and suggested opportunities would come later for council members who are not immediately assigned to certain committees.
Council staff said they remain open to suggestions about how to continue the conversation and will bring the item back in January or at a special meeting. The council’s decision to table means the mayor’s appointments will be revisited at a later date.
