Bangor City Council Elects Susan Hawes as New Chair

BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor City Council elected longtime member Susan Hawes as its new chair on Monday morning. Her election follows the swearing-in of three new councilors, marking a significant shift in local governance.

Hawes, who is starting her 15th year on the council, was appointed as chair during the council’s organizational meeting with a vote of 6-3. In her acceptance speech, she emphasized the need for transparency and professionalism as the council moves forward. “I feel like I have the institutional knowledge for the job,” she said.

During the meeting, Councilor Carolyn Fish nominated Hawes, highlighting her extensive experience. Fish acknowledged the challenges the council has faced recently, including disruptions due to hate speech during meetings. Fellow councilors including Fish, Wayne Mallar, and Susan Deane expressed their support for Hawes, expecting her leadership to stabilize the council.

In contrast, Councilor Joe Leonard nominated Councilor Michael Beck as a candidate for chair, describing him as fresh blood who could bring new ideas. However, Beck did not win the majority vote and will remain on the council without the chair position.

The newly elected council’s first meeting is scheduled for Monday night. A key agenda item will be discussing proposed changes to the public comment policy. These changes aim to eliminate Zoom participation in response to recent disturbances during meetings. Some councilors have voiced concern over hate speech affecting productivity.

Hawes stated she was prepared to maintain order and would remove any individuals being disruptive during meetings. She also left the door open for reinstating Zoom participation in the future, provided new regulations are established.

In a related development, the Bangor School Committee has also seen leadership changes, electing Timothy Surette as the new chair and Katie Brydon as vice chair while welcoming two new members. Councilor Leonard has faced criticism and formal reprimands for his past conduct and has vowed to avoid future infractions as the council seeks a respectful atmosphere.