SOUTH PORTLAND — A city councilor who has served less than one year of a three-year term resigned Saturday night.
Adrian Dowling, the District 5 councilor who lives in the Brickhill neighborhood, sent City Clerk Emily Scully a handwritten note via email to say he was resigning, effective immediately. Dowling’s term expires in December 2020.
Dowling previously served on the Planning Board before he was elected to the council. He has disconnected the phone number posted on the city’s website under his contact information, and could not be reached Monday.
A message left for Mayor Linda Cohen about his resignation was not immediately returned.
The City Charter provides the council with two options: either fill the vacancy or not. A special election must be held within 60 days of the vote to fill the office.
The council, at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 18, is expected to vote to accept Dowling’s resignation and tentatively set a Dec. 11 special election to replace him, according to Scully.
Nomination papers would be available Oct. 17 if the council formally votes Oct. 16 to hold the special election, according to an email from Scully.
Dowling’s resignation followed a tense meeting last week, when discussions over a review of the city’s corporation counsel divided the council. Dowling seconded a motion by Councilor Eben Rose to place the item on the council’s agenda for a future workshop.
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