In a unanimous 7–0 vote Tuesday night, the Lewiston City Council approved a non-binding resolve urging the incoming council to review the residency qualifications of councilor-elect Iman Osman, keeping a long-running and highly charged controversy alive just weeks before the new council is sworn in.
The resolve was placed on the agenda by Councilor David Chittim.
”I can’t let it go by, as I will say this, and I can say it until I’m blue in the face, this not about racism. It’s not about the color of a man’s skin or the mosque or church or cathedral he worships in. It’s not about any of those things, it’s about whether or not an individual lives in the ward he is elected to represent,” Chittim said.
Because Osman has not yet been sworn in, the current council acknowledged it has no authority to rule on his qualifications. Instead, the measure formally requests that the next City Council, which takes office January 5, take up the issue and review Osman’s eligibility.
Mayor Carl Sheline reiterated during the meeting that he continues to believe Osman “should resign” from the City Council, citing the ongoing distraction the controversy has created for city business. At the same time, Sheline noted that Osman is entitled to due process and that the vote itself does not determine guilt or innocence.
The motion on Tuesday was to investigate Osman’s residency and did not address his recent indictment on stolen gun charges.
Councilor Eryn Soule said Ward 5 residents “deserve answers,” arguing that voters have a right to know whether their elected representative actually lives in the ward.
Councilor Scott Harriman, who had previously opposed earlier efforts tied to the issue, voted in favor of the resolve.
Supporters of the review said a transparent examination is necessary to restore trust in local government, arguing that if Osman is eligible, an investigation would confirm it and put the issue to rest. Others questioned how a candidate could claim residency at a location they said was not legally habitable, calling the matter a basic question of compliance with the charter. Marcel LeClair said “I think that you guys will find in any investigation that the more you look into him, the more you will learn he has no place in city or state government.”
Bob McCarthy from Ward 2 said “I think it’s unfortunate that this is being characterized as a racist investigation, because it’s not. It’s it’s a simple fact that the address Osman is claiming could never be a residence. It’s never been a legal apartment to live in.”
Opponents framed the scrutiny as harassment and intimidation, warning that the controversy risks discouraging participation in local government, particularly in Ward 5, Lewiston’s most diverse ward. Several speakers accused critics of targeting Osman personally rather than focusing on policy or leadership.
Community activist Melissa Dunn lashed out at the Mayor saying his request to have Osman to resign was directed by his “stalkers and white nationalists.”
Shukri Abdulrahman said she “was deeply troubled” by the type of harassment that has been directed at Osamn. “These actions constitute harassment, aimed at discrediting him, they cannot and should not be in our community let alone in city governance.”
City officials emphasized repeatedly that the vote does not launch an investigation and does not bind the next council. It serves only as an expression of the outgoing council’s view that the issue should be addressed publicly and sooner rather than later.
The unanimous vote ensures the residency dispute will carry over into the next council term leaving the incoming body to decide whether to formally investigate, take no action, or bring the matter to a definitive close.
