PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Officials in Portland, Maine, have postponed a proposal that would have given noncitizen residents the right to vote in municipal elections.

City Councilor Pious Ali said he didn’t have the votes to move the proposal forward and referred it to the council’s Legislative Committee for additional work. The move came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine and the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, which supported the concept, both raised questions about unintended consequences.

Democratic Mayor Ethan Strimling says he’s disappointed, and the move will delay the proposal going for a public vote for at least a year.

Critics were concerned the proposal had not been properly vetted via committee. The proposal would have applied to adults who are in the U.S. legally, including refugees and asylum seekers.