PUBLIC RECORDS CONTROVERSY

Remember Mayor Mary Lou Steward's September 8, 2025 meltdown, accusing Water Planning Matters (WPM) of costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars for public records requests, according to city manager Mike Harmon? Turns out, for the entire year of 2025, there were a total of 157 Public Records Act requests for Blaine documents. This attempt to discredit WPM was in order to interfere with the city council election, in which 1) Harmon attempted to persuade the council to appoint Sarbie Bains to fulfill the remainder of Councilman Mike Hill's term, without allowing any other applicants, and 2) Steward defamed candidate Lewis in retaliation for introducing a code of ethics for Blaine officials.

The City of Blaine public records controversy did not happen in a vacuum; it happened due to three years of intense attacks by city staff on citizens holding city hall accountable to the Growth Management Act, State Environmental Policy Act, and the Clean Water Act, while the city appointed three realtors to Blaine Planning Commission, who promptly rezoned Blaine in violation of these laws and the Ethics in Public Service Act, adding to the numerous incidents 2023-25 of self-dealing by Blaine officials with direct financial conflicts of interest. 

Geoffrey Baker clarifies the issue in his February 5, 2026 letter to The Northern Light.

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