The Brunswick Town Council on Thursday honored its three outgoing members with a collective 20 years of service.

Council Chairperson James Mason, who served two terms, and Councilor Kathy Wilson, who served three, didn’t seek reelection in November. Councilor Dan Ankeles resigned to focus on his work as a state representative.

Mason, who was elected chairperson in 2022, presided over more than 400 council votes, starting with mask mandates during the coronavirus pandemic and ending Thursday with votes to rebuild sidewalks on a section of Maine Street and approve a pay hike for firefighters.

“I’ve learned now how important it is to have an effective, articulate, organized, patient chair,” Councilor Steve Walker told Mason. “It sets the tone for everything.

“You’ve always shown the utmost respect to all the people you work with on this council (and) the public at large. … The integrity you have shown is unparalleled.”

Walker praised Mason for leading initiatives to establish an affordable housing fund and Climate Action Task Force, purchase land by Maquoit Bay for possible conservation, and break ground on a new athletic complex in Brunswick Landing.

“You’ve left us in a good position,” Walker said. “Your fingerprints will be lasting in this town forever.”

The six incumbent councilors presented Mason, Ankeles and Wilson with plaques for their service.

“Always a champion of the environment, Councilor Ankeles has been a driving force behind council initiatives to improve our recycling system, develop infrastructure for electric vehicles, protect our coastal waters and expand access to green space,” Councilor Abby King said. “Equally an advocate for social justice, Councilor Ankeles was a founding member of the Affordable Housing Committee and has regularly advocated for tax reform at the local and state levels to ensure our most vulnerable citizens can afford to live here.

“Councilor Ankeles has also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ensuring our collective public safety through his work to mitigate PFAS at the Landing properties and as a member of the union negotiating team, where he worked tirelessly to secure fair and conducive contracts for our first responders.

“All that said, Councilor Ankeles’ true legacy to Brunswick is the extraordinarily high bar he has set for constituent engagement and responsiveness. … Councilor Ankeles is beloved for his ability to listen and respond with the utmost thoughtfulness, empathy and clarity, whether he agrees with you or not.”

Councilor Sande Updegraph said Wilson demonstrated a “common-sense approach to tough issues.”

“(It) will be a loss to this council,” Updegraph said. “Your example will be hard to follow.”

“I’m going to miss it,” Wilson said. “I’ve gotten to know so many people because of this council. … I love this town.”

“It’s been a tremendous five years working with the eight of you and all who came before,” Ankeles said. “We all did a lot for this town. We moved the ball forward on so many things.

“I loved every minute of it. … It’s been such an honor.”

Mason agreed.

“It has been a rewarding six years,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed knowing what’s going on and playing a role in the hundreds of years of history that is this town.

“I know you will all carry on well without the three of us on this council because I have seen your dedication.”

The council on Tuesday will swear in its new members who were elected in November — Nathan MacDonald, Steve Weems and James Ecker. The council will also elect a new chairperson.

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