LEWISTON — It’s none of the City Council’s business what voters decide on the casino question next month.
Councilors stopped short of adopting a resolution opposing ballot Question 1, which would approve a casino in Oxford County.
Councilors voted 3-4 against the resolution with Larry Poulin, Mark Cayer and Stephen Morgan all supporting it.
It would have urged Lewiston residents to oppose the casino in Oxford County, saying it would hurt the chances for a Lewiston casino in the Bates Mill Building No. 5. Voters statewide will see that measure on their ballots in November 2011.
Lewiston voters approved an option sale agreement with the casino group Great Falls Recreation and Redevelopment LLC in June.
“Since we as a council supported the sale of that property, we should follow through,” Councilor Morgan said. “We should, as a city council, support that effort.”
Mayor Larry Gilbert said he also supported the anti-Oxford resolution.
“At that referendum in June, the city said they want it here,” Gilbert said. “It’s a great deal that will provide jobs and benefits for a lot of people.”
But Councilor Ron Jean said he was concerned that Lewiston adopting the resolution would lead people from Oxford County to oppose a Lewiston casino.
“We’d get some kind of open warfare,” Jean said. “It would make Oxford County against Androscoggin, or at least Lewiston-Auburn.”
But most councilors said they opposed because it’s just not their business.
“I don’t think we should become a political action committee, and that’s what passing this resolution would make us,” Councilor John Butler said. “You don’t see us endorsing any other issues on this ballot. If you, as an individual councilor, don’t want to see a casino in Oxford, you should write a letter to the editor. But please, don’t adopt this.”
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