Bangor city councilors unanimously decided to give Councilor Cara Pelletier another year as the body’s chairperson while the city’s school committee unanimously appointed Sara Luciano as the group’s chair.
Both groups appointed their leaders on Wednesday after swearing in their reelected members and newcomers following last week’s election.
Bangor voters elected newcomers Michael Beck and Wayne Mallar to the Bangor City Council and gave Councilor Susan Hawes another term on council in last week’s election. Beck and Mallar replaced outgoing councilors Dina Yacoubagha and Gretchen Schaefer.
As chairperson, Pelletier will lead meetings and represent the council at public events. Upon being selected as chair, Pelletier said she hopes the council can continue to work together, though their opinions may differ, for the benefit of the city and all its residents.
“While I can guarantee we’re not going to agree on every issue, that’s why we’re here — to challenge each other and ourselves and make the best decisions for this city that we all love,” Pelletier said. “As we move forward, it’s going to be critical that we continue to conduct ourselves with civility and respect for the position that each of us holds.”
Councilor Dan Tremble, who has served as council chair twice, nominated Pelletier to be the council’s chair for another year. In his nomination, Tremble said Pelletier has shown impartiality in her first year as chairperson.
“I think you’ve represented the council’s agenda and we have a challenging year ahead,” Tremble said. “I think you’ve done a great job and deserve to serve another year.”
There were no other nominations for the leadership position.
After being sworn in, new councilors Beck and Mallar thanked voters for electing them and said they’re looking forward to working with other councilors to make the best decisions possible for Bangor residents.
“The issues we face in this room aren’t left or right, Republican or Democrat,” Beck said. “They’re Bangor issues and I’m looking forward to working with all of you on these issues moving forward.”
Voters also reelected Benjamin Sprague and Luciano to the Bangor School Committee in last week’s election. Both will serve another three-year term on the body.
Committee member Marwa Hassanien, who previously served as chairperson, nominated Luciano for the role. The group unanimously approved the appointment after no other nominations were offered.
This is the first time Luciano has served as chair. Upon her selection, Luciano said she’s excited to do her part to make Bangor schools a safe place for all students.
“You don’t get a chance to be in the right place at the right time like this, so I feel very lucky,” Luciano said. “I love it here, Bangor is my chosen home, and I’m so happy to be able to give back.”
Committee member Imke Jandreau then nominated Timothy Surrette to be the board’s vice chairperson, which the committee unanimously approved. There were no other nominations.
