Veteran councilor Susan Hawes has been elected chair of the Bangor City Council, taking the helm as three new members were sworn in on Monday morning. Her election follows a turbulent period for the council, marked by the resignation of a former chair in September and numerous meetings derailed by callers espousing hate speech.
Hawes, who begins her 15th year on the council and has previously served as chair, secured the position with a 6-3 vote. She emphasized that transparency and professionalism would be essential for the council in the coming year. “I feel like I have the institutional knowledge for the job,” she stated during the council’s organizational meeting.
In an interview, Hawes expressed her hope to “dial us back to a time that we were more civil and respectful of each other, and that means on both sides of the dais,” referring to both councilors and the public.
The new councilors—Susan Faloon, Daniel Carson, and Angela Walker—join at a critical juncture. Councilor Carolyn Fish nominated Hawes, citing her experience as a source of “steady, experienced, calm and balanced leadership.” The opposing nomination was for Councilor Michael Beck, who was elected last year. Councilor Joe Leonard presented Beck as a “new blood” alternative who would bring fresh ideas and expedite council business.
The new council’s first regular meeting on Monday night will address the recent disruptions head-on. The agenda includes a vote on changing the public comment policy to remove the option for remote participation via Zoom. Hawes affirmed that as chair, she would not hesitate to remove individuals who violate meeting rules and noted that regulated Zoom access could be reconsidered in the future.
Leonard, who was recently censured for his reaction to disruptive public comments, said he hoped meetings would “go back to their normal, boring selves,” adding that he has made a “new year’s resolution not to get censured again.”
In separate proceedings, the Bangor School Committee welcomed two new members and unanimously elected Timothy Surette as its chair and Katie Brydon as vice chair.
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