By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

There will be at least two new faces on the South Portland City Council in December. Both councilors Kay Loring, who has represented residents in District 2, and former mayor Claude Morgan, who has served one term as the District 1 councilor, have decided not to seek re-election this November. 

“I will miss it,” Morgan said. “There’s always a kind of wisdom at work [on the council], you have to have faith in it.”

The November ballot will feature only one candidate for the District 1 council seat; Thomas Coward said after serving on the city’s board of appeals for 12 years, running for council was the next logical step in helping maintain the values of the South Portland community. Relying on his experience as a lawyer and a real estate agent, Coward said he hoped to help the council focus toward more “long-term planning” goals and be “a little more business-like” in their decision making process.

“South Portland is wonderful, it needs to be kept that way,” he said. “I’ve been watching the city council and scratching my head from time to time.”

Six-year school board veteran Steve Onos and Patti Smith, an experienced volunteer and business executive, are both seeking election in District 2. Onos, who took out his papers only a day after Smith, said he’s been looking forward to campaigning for the city council seat for nearly a year. 

“I’ve really enjoyed six years on the school board, I have a knack and a passion for city politics,” he said. 

Onos said he believed it is important for the council to “get away from the small issues” and take a more proactive approach to creating new policies. 

“I’m talking about the chickens, the bees and the dogs,” he said. 

While Smith said she’s hoping District 2 voters won’t look at her opinions on any single issue, she believes the council should begin preparing for what could be a long and tough winter for many residents. 

“I’ve been speaking with a lot of people who are concerned about heating their homes this winter,” she said.

Smith said a recent public outreach meeting organized by State Sen. Lynn Bromley and representatives from Maine Housing Authority, Efficiency Maine and the Maine Oil Dealers Association “was a step in the right direction” and she would like to see a similar effort organized by the council.

In District 5, Councilor James Hughes is running for what could be his third, and final term. He said he has run against other incumbents every year the seat has been up for election, and this year the “popular” planning board member, Mark Gandolfo – who is also running for the District 5 seat and was not able to be reached by the Sentry -– had him “a little concerned” about his final campaign.

“The council has a good group of people on it,” Hughes said. “Looking at two, even three new people is a change but the people who are running are known. [The council] certainly wouldn’t be radically different in any way.”

Hughes said the most important issues the council addresses are those “that directly affect people” such as the ordinances on chickens and bees as well as the debate over continuing to allow dogs on Willard Beach. 

“It’s hard to tell what the next one will be,” Hughes said. “At least the council’s willing to take the time to look at the items, they don’t get stampeded.”