As my 12 years of public service as a member of the Scarborough Town Council comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to recognize and thank the many people that supported me over the years.

First, and foremost, I want to thank my wife and children for allowing me to take the time to serve the community. I love you all very much. I look forward to being a full-time husband and father once again.

Second, I want to recognize and thank all of the municipal employees for the outstanding job they do on a daily basis providing services to the community. You all work together as a team that truly sets the standard for the state of Maine on how municipal government can and should operate.

Third, thank you Ron Owens for your leadership and professionalism. You’re a man of tremendous dignity with credibility to match. The town has been very blessed to have you in the the corner office for the last eight years. Best of luck to Marica and you in all your future endeavors.

Fourth, I’d like to thank all of the 20 town councilors I served with during my tenure. I very much respect and honor your service to the community. Whether we agreed or disagreed, we always debated the merits of the issues and, in the end, the results were truly historic for our community.

Lastly, I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the citizens of Scarborough for their support. It’s been an honor and a privilege to be your councilor. Public service is a very noble cause. Although being on the council is a very public position, it’s really not any more important, in my view, than being a school or church volunteeer, a youth coach, a member of Project GRACE or other civic organization, a volunteer fireman, a Girl Scout leader or any other role in which one can serve their fellow citizens.

I’m proud to be a citizen of a community where the spirit of volunteerism isn’t just a theory, it’s a way of life.

Jeffrey Messer

Chairman, Scarborough Town Council