Auburn Mayor Tim Lattimore has never been one to consistently cast his vote with any real conviction.

And now, he's even less likely to do so.

This month, the mayor successfully orchestrated changing the city council voting order so that he could vote last, and not first.

And it took less than 10 minutes to figure out why.

Just moments after the mayor was able to get the voting order changed, the vote on moving the council's weekly meeting times from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. came up for a vote.

The three Democrats (David Dempsey, Tom McNabb, and Bill Graney) voted to approve the change. Republican Matt Smith voted against the resolution, as he wanted the meeting times moved back even later, so that more residents could come home for work, have dinner and still make it to the meetings.

The motion had therefore passed 3-1 before the mayor even needed to cast his vote. But as his name was called, he paused, and then voted against the measure.

What a hypocrite.

It was the mayor who just a week earlier had suggested the 6 p.m. meeting time, even though many working residents - especially those with a commute -still won't be able to attend at that hour. The mayor has never advocated that the meeting times be changed.

He knew his vote was meaningless. The resolution had passed. So he cast a vote that would be politically advantageous for him down the road in the eyes of his constituents who believe City Hall officials have forgotten who they serve.

We can disagree with Dempsey and McNabb. They have been consistent in their votes to make it less convenient for citizens to attend council meetings. Remember, they joined with the mayor to move meeting times to an unthinkable 9 a.m. last summer. And it's a shame that Graney - who agreed during his campaign that city council meetings should be held in the evenings - may have been bullied into going along with his fellow Democrats and vote for this resolution.

But what's worse is a vote cast by an elected representative that holds no weight, no credibility.

By voting last, the mayor's opinion can be shaped by what he determines to be politically advantageous. He'll let you know his opinion, once he sees how the other four members of council vote.

If you don't believe us, ask the mayor what he thinks.

But don't be surprised if he asks you for your opinion first.