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Resident urges council to censure Mayor Luke Merrill over social-media comments
Summary
At public comment, resident Josh Bosma accused Mayor Luke Merrill of blurring private/public lines on a social-media account and urged censure under Minnesota Statute 211B.09; the mayor replied he may express personal opinions in a private capacity and no formal censure vote was taken.
A resident urged the Isanti City Council to censure Mayor Luke Merrill for prior online comments that the resident said had been posted with the mayor’s official signature, arguing the posts crossed the line between private speech and official conduct.
Josh Bosma told the council, "I'm still disgusted that nothing was done... you've signed off on messages as mayor Merrill, which then blurs the line of it being public or private... That is completely and wholly unacceptable," and said the behavior could violate Minnesota Statute 211B.09 regarding voter coercion or intimidation.
Mayor Merrill briefly responded at the podium, saying he may express a personal opinion in any capacity but "I cannot say it as an official of the mayor" and acknowledged the legal distinction between private speech and official communications. The council took no formal action, and no council member moved to censure during the meeting.
Context: Multiple members of the public raised concerns about online decorum and asked the council or administration to adopt rules for respectful online behavior. Another resident, Rebecca, specifically supported Bosma’s request for clearer norms and decorum on social media.
Outcome: The issue was heard during public comment; council members acknowledged the concern but did not initiate a formal censure process. Staff or council members did not present an ordinance or formal complaint during this meeting.
