Bangor public comments press council to prioritize homelessness, drug response and protest naming practices; debate continues over inclusion resolution

Members of the public and several councilors addressed homelessness, the downtown safety climate and the council's recent handling of an inclusion resolution during public comment at the Bangor City Council meeting on Feb. 24, 2025.

Colleen O'Neil, a Bangor resident, criticized the council for failing to rebuke audience members who called council members derogatory names during the previous meeting, saying, "This behavior is neither inclusionary nor equal" and that the council "needs to make a formal apology" to several councilors for allowing personal attacks. O'Neil also urged the council to spend time on "failed policies on homelessness" and questioned the distribution and accountability of ARPA spending.

Multiple commenters focused on homelessness and related public-health and safety concerns. Mike Burrow, a longtime Bangor resident, criticized existing harm-reduction efforts and asked whether taxpayers would ultimately bear the cost of programs; he told the council, "You're not helping them. You're torturing them." Business owner James Gallagher, who said he operates several downtown businesses, recounted a recent violent incident involving a customer wielding "a…