BEND, Ore. -- The Bend City Council declined to vote on a resolution that calls for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Though Bush carried Deschutes County with ease in the 2004 election, the resolution was added to the council's agenda two days earlier at the request of Councilwoman Linda Johnson. She said the council has been asked to weigh in on the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war.

"I believe our council has a responsibility to listen to all the members of our community, those that we agree with and those we don't," she said.

The resolution cited declining federal funds available for local projects because of increasing war costs. As reasons for impeachment, it listed accusations from illegal surveillance of U.S. citizens to suppression of scientific evidence of climate change.

More than 50 residents filled the council chambers Wednesday night, with a few people stepping forward to speak.

"I think the reason a lot of us are coming to speak before our City Council, and I think it's happening all over the country, is that we do feel that our voice is not being heard in Washington," Tracy Miller said.

Eighty-three American cities, towns and counties have passed such resolutions, according to ImpeachPAC, which supports Democratic candidates for Congress who support impeachment.

But no city councils in Oregon have voted on impeachment.

Critics of the Bend resolution said it distracted from issues such as public transportation and affordable housing.

"We the citizens of Bend voted you in to office to handle local issues," said Sandy Joy, who spoke against the resolution.

The night proved anticlimactic when nobody on the council made a motion to approve the resolution.

"Those asking us to pass a resolution are barking up the wrong tree," Councilman Jim Clinton said.