Daniel Carson elected Bangor City Council chair, Digi Mart USA News (Bangor, Maine): The Bangor City Council elected Daniel Carson, a second-year city councilor, as its chair after three newcomers who won last week’s election were sworn in Monday morning.
The Bangor School Committee chose Katie Brydon as its chair and welcomed three new members.
The three new councilors, Anthony Cote, Terry Dinkins and Joseph Pratt, were elected in a conservative sweep of the open council seats. The results followed months of growing frustration among residents over the homelessness crisis, public drug use and syringe distribution, and a council race characterized by unprecedented spending.
Carson, who was elected to the council last year, was chosen as chair in a 7-2 vote. The chair, sometimes referred to ceremonially as the city’s mayor, is responsible for overseeing the council’s meetings.
Carson emphasized a commitment to relationship-building during the meeting, both among the councilors and with the public. “It continues to be the honor of my life to serve the people of Bangor,” he said.
Carson has spearheaded a new committee that aims to strengthen communication with lawmakers and advocate for Bangor’s needs at the state level in his first year on the council. Outside of his role as a councilor, he lives downtown and works as a labor organizer, a career he took on after years in banking.
He has garnered a reputation as a level-headed councilor able to work across the aisle, although some residents are skeptical of his affiliation with the Communist Party of Maine and his board member role with the progressive nonprofit Food and Medicine.
Wayne Mallar, one of the most conservative members of the council, nominated Carson for the job, while Michael Beck nominated Susan Faloon. Carson, Cote, Dinkins, Mallar, Pratt, Angela Walker and outgoing Chair Susan Hawes voted for Carson.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Carson told the Bangor Daily News after Monday’s organizational meeting, noting that homelessness and housing continue to be key priorities for the council.
The new chair also said that while he thinks the city’s many departments do great work, he wants the council to devote more attention to improving the organization and processes that can help those departments function as effectively as possible.
The council will meet again Monday night to resume regular business with the new councilors on board.
The School Committee unanimously chose Brydon as chair and Mallory Cook as vice chair.
