South Portland, Westbrook inaugurate city, school leaders

Dec. 6—South Portland and Westbrook held inauguration ceremonies Monday, swearing in recently elected city and school officials.

In South Portland, City Clerk Emily Scully administered the oath of office to city Councilors Richard Matthews and Natalie West and school board members Susan Rauscher, Tandy Ratliff and Molly Schen.

After the new councilors were sworn in, the seven-member council unanimously elected District 2 Councilor Kate Lewis to serve as mayor through the coming year.

In her inaugural address, Lewis said, "We have a lot of hard work facing us in the year ahead. ... Some of the decisions we make might make the difference in how many people can stay in their homes, might have significant impacts on health and safety for our residents, and might affect quality of life here for decades to come."

The afternoon event concluded with the school board unanimously electing Schen to serve as vice chairperson and Jennifer Ryan to serve as chairperson through 2023.

In Westbrook, City Clerk Angela Holmes administered the oath of office to Mayor Mike Foley, city Councilors Claude Rwaganje, David Morse, Victor Chau and Jennifer Monro; and school committee members Jeremy McGowan, Noreen Poitras and Andrea Mancuso.

The council unanimously elected Ward 3 Councilor Anna Turcotte to continue serving as its president.

In his State of the City address, Foley reviewed Westbrook's recent accomplishments and future challenges, including business growth and housing development, with more than 1,500 homes proposed, planned or under construction.

"Westbrook continues to be a major player in the efforts to address the housing crisis," Foley said Monday evening. "We know single communities can't solve this problem alone. A regional solution is required for a regional problem."