GORHAM – A drunk-driving charge against a Gorham town councilor has exposed an apparent rift among councilors.

Suzanne E. Phillips, accused last month of operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident, is scheduled for a court arraignment on Wednesday, July 11, in Cumberland County Unified Court in Portland.

Gorham police summonsed Phillips, 36, at 12:39 a.m. on May 4 on South Street, according to a police log.

An attempt by Councilor Matthew Robinson to discuss the case publicly was thwarted Tuesday, but it could resurface at a regular council meeting July 3.

According to a state of Maine crash report, Phillips, who lives on Harding Bridge Road, was driving her red Chevrolet pickup north on School Street in Gorham and swerved into two legally parked cars, breaking the mirrors on both vehicles and she left the scene. A witness called police. There were no injuries, according to the report.

Phillips was taken to the Gorham Police Department, where she was administered a breath test that, according to the state crash report, resulted in an blood alcohol content of 0.110 percent. The legal limit is .08 percent.

Lt. Christopher Sanborn of Gorham Police Department said last week Phillips was issued a summons and was released on personal recognizance. Sanborn declined any further comment about the case.

Phillips offered only a prepared statement Tuesday: “At the request of my attorney, I cannot speak to any of the details of the incident. It is unfortunate that the whole story is not reported in these kinds of articles/news reports, such as that fact that I swerved to avoid a pedestrian who abruptly walked into the street,” she said in an email response.

Her lawyer, Amanda J. Doherty, declined comment Tuesday, as did the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office.

“The DA’s won’t have anything to say about that case at this point,” said Tamara Getchell, a district attorney spokeswoman.

In Tuesday’s special council meeting, which was attended by the town’s lawyer, William Dale, as well as Doherty, Robinson asked to suspend council rules to add an agenda item to discuss Phillips’ case publicly.

Town Councilor John Pressey responded that the discussion would be inappropriate.

Dale agreed that it would be improper for the council to suspend rules to add an item in the special meeting.

“My advice is you can’t do it,” Dale told the council.

Robinson’s motion failed to generate any support in a roll call vote of the panel.

“I wasn’t surprised,” Robinson said Wednesday.

Robinson said he is not giving up. He said Phillips is an elected official and the matter should be discussed in public.

“I’m bringing everything up on July 3,” Robinson said.

Philip Gagnon, vice chairman of the Town Council, said Wednesday he believed that Brenda Caldwell, chairwoman of the council, and Town Manager David Cole knew about the incident involving Phillips the day it occurred.

“I’m surprised Caldwell or Cole didn’t hold an executive session to discuss the matter,” Gagnon said Wednesday. “Other communities have dealt with a similar issue and taken a classier route than Gorham. I don’t think it’s fair for somebody to openly distort and create fabricated issues in order to politically posture.”

Unlike regular Town Council meetings, there was no public comment time listed on the special meeting agenda Tuesday and no time allotted for council communications.

When the council considered the published agenda item to withdraw from the Maine Public Employees Retirement System, a matter that impacts the Gorham Police Department, Councilor Michael Phinney, without naming anyone, asked whether any councilor wanted to speak about a perceived possible conflict of interest. No one did.

Caldwell then prohibited discussing anything further that was not relevant to the agenda item.

“I have my gavel and I will use it,” she warned.

The council voted 5-2 (Robinson and Phinney opposed) to uphold Caldwell’s decision before the council unanimously voted to withdraw from the retirement program.

Town Council policies apparently don’t cover personal conduct, according to Cole.

Phillips, who grew up in Gorham, was elected to a three-year Town Council term in 2011. She serves on the council’s Finance Committee and its Appointments/Personnel Committee.

Gorham Town Councilor Suzanne Phillips was accused last month of operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. (File photo)