City Council
The City Council consists of seven members who are elected to serve staggered three year terms. In addition to two At Large Councilors, there are five Councilors representing each of the five City districts. Councilors are limited to serving three consecutive terms. Elections are held in November and nomination papers are available in the City Clerk's office late July/early August. To appear on a ballot a candidate must collect at least 100 signatures from qualified voters of the city. Newly elected Councilors are sworn in at the Inauguration which is held at 4:00 PM on the 1st Monday of December. The City Council appoints the City Manager, City Clerk, and Corporation Counsel.
Starting in December 2022, the City Council will meet on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm for regular business meetings. They will meet on the second Tuesday of the month for a workshop at 6:30pm. An additional workshop may be scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Council's request. Workshops are work sessions for Councilors where feedback is sought and guidance is made to staff for upcoming action. No votes are taken during workshops. Meetings/Workshops are held on Thursday night if Tuesday is a holiday or the meeting is cancelled due to inclement weather. Meetings/Workshops of the City Council are livestreamed online, broadcast on local cable television, on Facebook, and are recorded. Agendas and minutes of the City Council can be found here and are posted by 4:30pm the week prior to a meeting or workshop.
City Council Rules for Public Comment
The public is invited to attend all meetings of the City Council and comments from the public are welcome on all agenda items. Additionally, members of the public will be given up to 3 minutes to speak on any item on or off the agenda during Citizens Discussion Part I or Part II. Members of the public are allowed up to 3 minutes to speak on any item appearing as a workshop item on the meeting's agenda. The City Council follows a set of adopted rules that govern the conduct and organization of meetings. A copy of the City Council's "Standing Rules" may be found here (Amended April 4, 2023).
City Council Meeting Agendas & Records
As of 2019, all City Council agendas, minutes and meeting packet material can be found on BoardDocs, which is fully searchable. This link is provided on the home page of the City's website under "Agendas & Minutes". Agendas and meeting material are posted on Friday by 4:30pm the week before each meeting. If you are having difficulty accessing the documents on BoardDocs, you may find a link to the agenda in .PDF format posted under "Agendas & Minutes" on the home page of the City's website.
Archives of minutes (1992-2018) and meeting materials (2013-2018) are available on the left menu. If you need help locating a specific record or a record not listed here, please contact the City Clerk. The City Clerk keeps all minutes and records of City Council Meetings, going back to 1899. These records are public and are available for inspection or copy upon request. Council Meetings & Workshops are recorded and archives can be viewed here.
Contacting City Council
City Councilors welcome emails, letters, and phone calls from citizens regarding policy issues. If you have an operational issue or complaint (i.e., traffic complaints or to report trash not being picked up), please call City Hall at (207) 767-3201 or report the issue here.
Members of the City Council, including the Mayor, do not have offices at City Hall. City Councilor's contact information can be found here. Alternatively, correspondence intended for members of the City Council, including the Mayor, may be directed to the City Clerk. The City Clerk can be reached at City Hall, 25 Cottage Road, South Portland, ME 04106, at (207)767-7601 or email to: escully@southportland.org.
Councilors receive many emails and letters from constituents and take care to read and respond to every communication. Due to the volume of communications received, requests to have emails or letters "read into the record" in absentia during public comment of Council meetings and workshops may not be granted. Email communications to Councilors that do not indicate who the communication is from may not be responded to.