A divided American Canyon City Council called on the country’s top leadership to send additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.

In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the City Council endorsed a resolution City Councilman Ed West drafted this weekend to thank Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, for publicly declaring her support to U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request for thousand of more troops to Afghanistan.

The resolution received support from Vice Mayor Don Callison and City Councilwoman Cindy Coffey, while Mayor Leon Garcia and City Councilwoman Joan Bennett voted against it, in part because they said the matter is not city business.

“Tonight isn’t about the war. It’s not whether you support the war or don’t support the war. It’s not about the president — whether you support the president or not,” said West, whose eldest son, Phillip, a U.S Marine, was killed in Iraq in November 2004 and his youngest child, Megan, is serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.

West, who decried politicians’ involvement in the war, cited Feinstein’s statement that eight US soldiers were killed on Oct. 3 in Nuristan because of a lack of proper personnel, West said, adding that was “unacceptable.”

“All I am proposing is that we resolve to declare that our troops deserve the best supplies, the best equipment, the best training, the best intelligence information and definitely the best troop saturation to complete their mission and come home safely,” he said. “That’s all I’m proposing.”

But Bennett reiterated her opposition to the resolution while saying she cares for the troops but personally would like to see them come home.

“I believe that issue is one that should be debated in Washington,” she said, adding she and many others voted for President Obama because they wanted change in Washington.

“I believe he has more insight into the war on terror, particularly on Afghanistan, than I or any of us on this council,” she said.

She also said that West vociferously opposed a resolution she had proposed in May in support of all people regardless of sexual orientation because he said it is not a issue specific to American Canyon. Callison and Coffey voted with West to table the resolution, saying it was not a city matter. Critics of the resolution also said that with the passage of Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage months earlier, the people of California had already spoken.

Bennett said calling a meeting was an unnecessary expense.

“I brace myself for the slings and arrows,” Bennett said, regretting the City Council’s partisan politics. Bennett and Garcia are registered Democrats while Callison and West are registered Republicans, according to Napa County’s registrar of voters. Coffey is not registered with either party.

But Callison said that the resolution is the city’s business.

 “As long as we have people from this country in harm’s way on foreign soil, it’s everyone business,” the vice mayor said.

Callison added a clause to West’s resolution to state that the United States should either have a clear and concise plan for success in Afghanistan or withdraw all of its troops. He also said he agreed to have a meeting Tuesday because it was the wish of a fellow city councilmember.

Garcia said his church members pray for the safe return of soldiers and look out for their families.

Half-a-dozen members of the public spoke out on the measure. One, Matt Pope, a member of the Napa County Planning Commission, urged the council to vote against the resolution. Marianne Young, whose son is a U.S. Marine, spoke in support.