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As of this week’s deadline to enter the race, 12 people are running to serve on the Bangor City Council. That’s the most candidates in more than four decades.
The interest in the council comes at a critical time.
Bangor, like other cities around the state and country, is struggling with numerous, interconnected issues. Homelessness has been a top concern of city councilors, and residents, for a decade. Despite new housing projects and the city devoting financial resources to the problem, the situation doesn’t appear to be improving.
An analysis by the Bangor Daily News last month found that the council so far this year has devoted little time to its stated priorities, and was instead distracted by legal and ethical reviews, including testy exchanges between councilors, and even with residents.
“While we argue about the process and personalities, the city is not getting measurably better,” resident Joe Bowman said at a July council meeting, where debate about cooperation with federal immigration agencies devolved into a shouting match.
This month, the council stuck by a decision to support a new project to provide housing and support services to people who have been chronically homeless despite vociferous pushback from attendees at a packed special meeting. Many attendees were upset that councilors did not allow public comment at the Aug. 17 meeting.
We learned earlier this week that one of the city’s major healthcare providers — Penobscot Community Health Care — is in dire financial straits and may declare bankruptcy if it doesn’t raise $3 million in the next two months. Penobscot Community Health Care is the region’s largest federally qualified health center, meaning it provides healthcare to underserved populations covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Without those services, including transitional housing, HIV care and dental care, many of its clients will struggle to get care and support.
While this isn’t a city problem to fully solve, it highlights the difficulty of providing healthcare and other services in these challenging financial times. With cutbacks in federal support for many vital programs, the state and local governments have been left to try to pick up the slack. That situation is likely to get worse, even as property taxes increase.
At the same time, the council has been marred by personal disputes and ethics investigations. Councilor Joe Leonard has been censured by his colleagues three times for his comments and behavior. Councilor Wayne Mallar was found to have violated the city’s code of ethics on two occasions.
It all adds up to feelings of frustration for many city residents and business owners.
None of this is to say that sitting councilors, or their predecessors, haven’t worked hard to try to address these and other issues. But, for too many Bangor residents it can feel like progress is illusive or nonexistent, and that their concerns are not being heard while councilors squabble and spend time on less important issues.
Bangor needs and deserves better.
So, it’s heartening that so many people want to serve on the City Council. Of the 12 candidates, only one — Leonard — is seeking reelection. That means there will be new voices and perspectives on the council next year, as three seats are up for election.
That is good news.
