On April 3, I witnessed a truly sorry excuse for representative government. When charged with the duty to fill the vacant Ward 5 seat on the Waterville City Council, the council exhibited behavior more fitting a junior high clique than a body that listens to its electorate (“Former Waterville councilor John O’Donnell appointed to Ward 5 council seat,” April 3).

Ward 5 spoke clearly, loudly, and unmistakably in support of Julian Payne for the vacant seat. Yet five of the councilors demonstrated their contempt for the voters of Ward 5, four of whom chose to install ex-Councilor John O’Donnell, someone they felt comfortable with, instead of the candidate that the voters who attended the meeting overwhelmingly supported.

Considering this abuse of the power granted the council by the city charter, it’s clear the charter needs to be amended to strip the council of this ability, as the council cannot be trusted to listen to the voices of its constituents. The message has been made quite clear to the residents of Ward 5, and by extension to the other six wards in Waterville: we are the vouncil, we know better than you, and we do not feel the need to listen to you.

I strongly recommend that the voters of Waterville take the necessary and appropriate steps in November to start the return of government to the people. We need a vouncil that will listen and be held accountable.

Russell Nutt

Waterville

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