OLD ORCHARD BEACH — After two years as a seven-member board, the town council is now back to five members.

In 2011, residents voted to change the number of town councilors from five to seven, effective in 2012. This change did not last long, as in 2013, citizens approved a referendum that reversed the 2011 decision, changing the council back to five members.

The change back to a five-member council became effective Monday. The new council is composed of Shawn O’Neill, Joseph Thornton, Jay Kelley, Kenneth Blow and the newly re-elected Councilor Michael Tousignant, who ran unopposed.

The council said good-bye to former councilors Malorie Pastor and Bob Quinn, whose seats on the council have come to an end.

Quinn had served on the council since 2010, the only councilor who survived a recall movement that removed six of the seven members on the council in 2013. Prior to his service on the council, Quinn served on various town committees, including the finance board, the planning board, the zoning board of appeals and the charter commission.

“He spent hours studying the issues coming before the council, and protected and accounted for every penny ”“ literally every penny, and for that we thank him ”“ spent by the municipality to honor his commitment to the citizens,” said O’Neill.

Pastor served on the council since 2013, coming on board after six members of the council were removed from office by the recall vote. O’Neil said Pastor gave a “youthful vision” to the council, and was diligent in every action taken as a councilor.

The council re-elected O’Neill as chairman and elected Thornton as vice chairman.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.