Bangor Councilor's Unfiltered Comments Broadcast During Ethics Meeting
In a deeply embarrassing incident, Bangor City Councilor Wayne Mallar was caught on a live microphone making derogatory comments about immigrants during a Board of Ethics meeting on Tuesday. The councilor, unaware his remarks were being broadcast on the official livestream, launched into a tirade about "illegals" while discussing proposed budget increases for multilingual services in local schools.
"They're Probably All Illegals Anyway"
According to the Bangor Daily News, Mallar made the comments during a break in proceedings while other board members had left the room. Speaking to a city staff member seated near multiple microphones, Mallar declared: "The school department's asking for a 10 percent increase. As far as I'm concerned, they get no increase."
He continued with inflammatory language: "They can't speak English, read English or write English. It's not a disability. We do not have to furnish. They're probably all illegals anyway. That's what the cultural center is supposed to be doing."
Budget Proposal Context and Legal Requirements
The budget proposal under discussion included a 6.43 percent funding increase for second-language learning programs, which would allow the department to hire an additional teacher. Maine's Department of Education requires public schools to teach English to non-native speakers under multiple state and federal laws, with failure to do so potentially classified as discrimination.
Demographic data reveals the importance of these services. According to the Department of Education, approximately 5.4 percent of Bangor's students are multilingual. The 2024 Bangor census concluded that seven percent of residents speak a language other than English at home, while six percent of the population was born in another country.
Mallar Doubles Down Despite Backlash
Despite immediate public backlash, Mallar stood by his comments in an interview the following day. "Why are we teaching English as a second language and taking away from teaching English to our regular citizens?" he questioned.
He expanded on his controversial views: "It seems we're spending too much time on the homeless and the illegals and disregarding the citizenry. I don't believe most of the illegals pay taxes, property taxes anyway." Mallar acknowledged he didn't know his words were being broadcast but argued they "shouldn't have been" made public.
The councilor maintained that cultural centers in Bangor should be used to teach English to immigrants instead of school programs, and claimed allocating money toward multilingual services could harm other community members. "The senior citizens won't be able to afford their houses, which no one seems to care about," he stated.
Swift Condemnation from Colleagues
School Committee Chair Timothy Surrette called Mallar's comments "false, hateful and deeply harmful to our multilingual learners and their families here in Bangor."
Fellow councilors joined the condemnation. Councilor Susan Faloon told WABI: "I would say that the comments that he made definitely do not reflect my values and I don't believe they reflect the values of our community either. I think that we as councilors do need to be held to a higher standard."
Councilor Michael Beck added in a statement: "I'm disappointed by any rhetoric that relies on harmful stereotypes to dismiss the needs of our neighbors. Our city is at its best when we treat every family with dignity, and I look forward to a budget process that reflects those values."
Ethics Meeting Context and Previous Controversy
Ironically, Mallar was already under scrutiny during Tuesday's meeting to determine whether he had violated the city's ethics code during a Historic Preservation Commission meeting in August. According to the board, Mallar made inappropriate comments during a recess eight months prior, allegedly attempting to influence the commission's decision on a slate roof replacement.
While those earlier comments weren't recorded, the board didn't rule in Mallar's favor. The Daily Mail contacted both Mallar and the Bangor City Council chair for additional comment following the hot mic incident.
