In what can only be deemed a bad case of musical chairs or a lack of bladder control, the revolving attendance of two city councilors (Democrats David Dempsey and William Graney) at a meeting with several county officials in 2006 sounds farcical.

While Mayor Timothy Lattimore sat through a meeting to discuss an exchange of sewer services for Home Depot in Aurelius for a larger cut of local sales tax distribution, the two councilors swapped time inside the room, ala tag-team wrestling.

Dempsey, who has made an art out of rationalization over the last couple of years, is quoted in one local media outlet that “nobody asked why,” when then former City Manager John Salomone allegedly directed the two to take shifts in the room. Apparently he didn't.

After nearly a decade and half in elected positions, it can be assumed that Dempsey, now a candidate for mayor, would have a simple grasp of the state's Open Meetings Law. If he doesn't, then he shouldn't be in public office, let alone become mayor. Such a comment either shows ignorance on his part, or a belief that the voters are gullible enough to accept his rationalizations.

It is not too much to assume that Dempsey, who has been sparring with Lattimore (OK, get that picture out of your mind) for nearly three years, wasn't comfortable having his fellow Democrat in the meeting alone with the mayor. At the time, Graney was widely seen as more a supporter of the mayor's policies than sticking with his majority cohorts within the Democratic Party on city council. One might assume that if a deal was to be struck on not only good news regarding Home Depot, but the city getting a larger share of the sales tax pie, Dempsey wanted to be front and center for any media announcement.

That may be the only way to rationalize what clearly was a violation of the Open Meetings Law.

And while the mayor may wave aside criticism of this illegal meeting, he shares similar blame. How he can rationalize that there was no “meaningful” attempt to violate the law, raises its own questions.

What may be most disappointing is that the meeting was for naught for the city #- a deal was made for water and sewer services to Home Depot outside of the city, but the city didn't get a bigger slice of the sales tax pie. At this point the only good news is that at least one of these two, either Lattimore or Dempsey (and Democratic nominee Michael Quill hopes both), will be out of city hall this coming January.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com