BANGOR, Maine — Four people have taken out nomination paperwork to run for three City Council seats, but one sitting council member remains undecided about whether she will seek re-election.
City Clerk Lisa Goodwin confirmed Thursday that Councilor David Nealley is seeking re-election in the Nov. 3 vote. As of Thursday, Justin Freeman, Paul LeClair and Sarah Nichols also had taken out nomination paperwork.
Freeman, a Winslow native, is an accountant who unsuccessfully sought a council seat in 2014. At the time, he ran on a platform that included controlling costs faced by taxpayers.
LeClair is known for outspoken opposition for many City Council decisions, speaking at most City Council meetings. He has been a critic of the school budget and the city budget and spoke out more recently against Councilor Joe Baldacci’s proposed minimum wage ordinance.
Nichols, a 2012 graduate of the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in new media, is coordinator of development for St. Joseph’s Healthcare.
Her platform includes investment in quality education, growing tourism and working creatively to ignite economic growth and support good paying jobs, according to a statement released Wednesday.
Of the nine councilors, Nealley and Councilors Patricia Blanchette and Pauline Civiello face election bids. Having already moved to Florida, Blanchette is not expected to seek re-election, and Civiello remained undecided Thursday.
With Civiello and Nealley known opponents of Baldacci’s proposed local minimum wage ordinance and Blanchette a known supporter, the outcome of the November council election could decide the issue for Bangor.
To qualify, candidates must return their paperwork along with 100 signatures of registered Bangor voters no earlier than Aug. 17 and no later than 4:30 p.m. Sept. 4.
As of Thursday, no one had picked up papers to qualify as candidates on the school committee, where members Marc Eastman and Sarah Smiley face re-election this year.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.