BRUNSWICK — It was standing room only in the Town Council chambers Monday, as new councilors and School Board members took their oaths of office.

The council and board also elected officers in brief organizational meetings after the ceremony. 

Newly elected Councilor At-Large Kathy Wilson and District Five Councilor Dan Harris were sworn in for their first terms, along with District Seven Councilor Sarah Brayman, who was re-elected to a second term. 

Wilson won election to the open seat in November, defeating opponent John Portela. She is a life-long Brunswick resident and owns a Pleasant Street dog grooming business. Harris, a former Boothbay selectman who moved to Brunswick in 2012, defeated long-time Councilor Gerald Favreau to win his seat. 

Brayman was elected council chairwoman, District Two Councilor Steve Walker was elected vice chairman, in a pair of divided votes.

The count was 5-2 both times, with Councilors Kathy Wilson and David Watson voting in the minority.

Advertisement

Councilors Suzan Wilson and John Richardson did not attend the meeting. 

Brayman, who served as vice chairwoman last year, said in an interview Tuesday she expects this to be an exciting year for the town. 

“It thought it would be the next step in my continuing work on the council,” Brayman said.

The municipal budget will likely be the most challenging part of the council’s work, depending on what impact the state budget has on municipal finances, Brayman said. 

School Board

Newly-elected District Seven School Board Member Sarah Singer was sworn into her first term on the board, while at-large member William Thompson and District Five member James Grant began new terms. 

Singer and Thompson won unopposed elections in November and Grant squeezed by with a eight-vote margin over his opponent. 

Advertisement

William Thompson, who served as vice chairman last year, was elected chairman of the School Board in a 7-2 vote, defeating District Two representative Brenda Clough, who was also nominated for the position. Clough and board member Chris McCarthy supported her bid. 

At-large member Joy Prescott was elected vice chairwoman, defeating Clough 6-3. Clough’s nomination for vice chairwoman was supported by McCarthy and District Six member Janet Conners. 

Peter L. McGuire can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 100 or pmcguire@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter @PeteL_McGuire

Sidebar Elements


Brunswick District Seven Councilor Sarah Brayman was elected Town Council chairwoman in a 5-2 vote Monday.

Town Councilors Sarah Brayman, Dan Harris and Kathy Wilson take the oath of office Monday from Town Clerk Fran Smith at the Brunswick town office.

School Board members Sarah Singer, James Grant and William Thompson take the oath of office from Town Clerk Fran Smith on Monday at the Brunswick Town Office.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: