HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-11-27 24-038 Order24-038 11/27/2023
CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Council Meeting Date: November 27, 2023
Item No: 24-038
Responsible Dept: City Council
Action Requested: Order
Title, Order
Map/Lot: N/A
Censuring City Councilor Joseph Leonard For Inappropriate Public Remarks Made About Incoming City
Councilors
Summary
At the November 13, 2023 Bangor City Council meeting, City Councilor Joseph Leonard during closing remarks
expressed displeasure with the advertisements of a campaign group which had endorsed two of the incoming
City Council members. Mr. Leonard made the following public comments about the two new Council members
who were sworn in as City Councilors for the.first time earlier that same day:
"...[b]oth Councilor Fish and Councilor Deane have expressed that they had nothing to do with these negative
ads and have spoken out against them. While I appreciate those statements, those ads never stopped. And
while I personally choose to forgive everyone who was involved in this advertising campaign, including our two
new Councilors..."
Later in his comments, Councilor Leonard stated, "I want to clearly state that I forgive the two of you for your
part in this negative ad campaign that commenced in this city, and I want to stress that I will work with the
two of you for the benefit of Bangor." He want on to say, "...[t]he responsibility of building trust on this
Council is on you, and I'm not going to lie —you have some work to do in the coming years."
Council Leonard's remarks were inappropriate, offensive, and disrespectful to the incoming City Council
members. The City's Code of Ethics requires that City Councilors maintain a standard of conduct that will
inspire public confidence in the integrity of the City's government, and Councilor Leonard's inappropriate public
remarks about the incoming City Councilors fell well short of this standard.
This Order, if passed, will formally censure Councilor Leonard for his remarks.
Committee Action
Committee:
Action:
Staff Comments & Approvals
City Manager
Introduced for: Passage
Meeting Date:
For: Against:
City Solicitor Finance Director
24-038 11/27/2023
CITY OF BANGOR ORDER
Date: November 27, 2023
Item No. 24-038
Assigned to Councilor: Fournier
ORDER, Censuring City Councilor Joseph Leonard For Inappropriate Public Remarks Made About Incoming
City Councilors
WHEREAS, on November 13, 2023, at the regularly -scheduled City Council meeting during closing remarks,
City Councilor Joseph Leonard made the following public comments about two new City Council members who
had been sworn in as City Councilors earlier that day:
"...[b]oth Councilor Fish and Councilor Deane have expressed that -they had nothing to do with these negative
ads and have spoken out against them. While I appreciate those statements, those ads never stopped. And
while I personally choose to forgive everyone who was involved in this advertising campaign, including our two
new Councilors..."
Later in his comments, Councilor Leonard stated, "I want to clearly state that I forgive the two of you for your
part in this negative ad campaign that commenced in this city, and I want to stress that I will work with'the
two of you for the benefit of Bangor." He want on to say, "...[t]he responsibility of building trust on this
Council is on you, and I'm not going to lie —you have some work to do in the coming years."
WHEREAS, the remarks made by Councilor Leonard were inappropriate, offensive, and disrespectful to the
two incoming City Council members; and
WHEREAS, the City's Code of Ethics requires that City Councilors maintain a standard of conduct that will
inspire public confidence in the integrity of the City's government; and
WHEREAS, Councilor Leonard's inappropriate remarks fell well short of this standard;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANGOR THAT,
City Councilor Joseph Leonard is hereby formally censured for his inappropriate public comments made at the
November 13, 2023 Bangor City Council meeting about the two incoming City Council members.
IN CITY COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 27, 2023
CO 24-038
Motion made and seconded to Suspend the Rules to take up Order 24-038
Vote: 7— 1
Councilors Voting Yes: Deane, Fish, Fournier, Hawes, Schaefer, Tremble, Pelletier
Councilors Voting No: Yacoubagha
Passed
Motion made and seconded for Passage
Vote: 7— 1
Councilors Voting Yes: Deane, Fish, Fournier, Hawes, Schaefer, Tremble, Pelletier
Councilors Voting No: Yacoubagha
Passed
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CITY CLERK