Reasonable people can disagree about the merit of the city’s smoking ban. The process of resolving these disagnicholas pinto-nicholas pinto-reements has been woefully dysfunctional and undemocratic, however, and despite his protestations to the contrary, the only one really at fault is the mayor.

The Board of Health scheduled a critical meeting to consider lifting the city’s smoking ban. The meeting was not announced on the Board’s Web site until 3 p.m., virtually guaranteeing that the board would have little community input on their decision.

At the meeting, board member Babette Mello made a motion to consider lifting the ban, but was shut down on bogus procedural grounds by Dr. David C. Osler, the Chairman of the Board of Health.

To summarize: one of the most contentious issues in the city was arbitrarily dismissed on specious procedural grounds at a virtually secret meeting, by a Chairman of the Board who is not even a Somerville resident, and who’s only official appointment expired nine years ago.

This embarrassing state of affairs can be laid directly at the feet of the mayor. David Osler serves at the pleasure of the mayor and can be replaced at his whim.

The mayor has allowed the business owners of the city to believe that he opposes the smoking ban, and has said publicly that he disagrees with the timing of the Board’s actions, as though what they decide is beyond his control and outside his responsibility.

If someone in an executive position throws up his hands in helplessness when his appointees make capricious and undemocratic decisions, we call it passing the buck. We expected more.

The mayor has two options – he can stand behind the actions of his Board of Health, and come out clearly in favor of the smoking ban and the closed-door manner in which they are pursuing it; or he can replace Osler with someone more concerned with the opinions of the people of Somerville. Both are honorable choices. The mayor must decide on one.

Osler can’t be blamed for having his own agenda, or for being out of touch with the interests of a city to which he commutes. Every day that Osler stays in office is a day the mayor has chosen to keep him there.

The voters will draw their own conclusions.