I was deeply disappointed to see that the City Council voted on its seventh member with only five of the six council members present. This was an important decision. As such, the Council should have waited until all six council members were present. You are tasked with the job of working on our behalf for the betterment of Baker City, and success requires that you work well with each other, even if you disagree on a particular issue as you seek what is best for Baker City. To deliberately deny, because it feels very intentional, a council member the opportunity to vote on this seventh position is disrespectful to the council member, the Council as a whole, and to us, the citizens of Baker City. In the recent past, council seats were vacant for a while as the Council sought to come to agreement on who would fill the seat. Thus, delaying a vote until all six were present is no hardship. A disservice has been done and sets a bad tone. Hopefully the Council members who felt the need to rush a vote will remember that Baker City needs a functional Council and that requires integrity, fairness, and a willingness to consider different perspectives. We are counting on you.

Suzanne Fouty

Baker City