Julian Schlaver Courtesy/City of Biddeford

BIDDEFORD — Julian Schlaver is the new city councilor for Ward 5.

Appointed by Mayor Alan Casavant to fill the unexpired term of Amy Clearwater, who resigned due to a work conflict Jan. 10, he took the oath of office on Jan. 24.  Schlaver, 46, will serve the remainder of the term, which expires on the first Tuesday in December following the November election.

“Welcome. We’re very pleased to have you serve with us,” said Casavant as Schlaver joined the other councilors on the dais. “Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been very giving to the community, your time, expertise and effort and numerous projects. I think this is just a perfect fit for you.”

Schlaver and his wife Roxi Suger own the clothing manufacturing company, Angelrox located in the Pepperell Mill, along with retail stores called Suger in Biddeford and Portland. He chairs the Downtown Development Commission and with Roxi  in 2014 instituted the Biddeford Ball that benefits local charities – in the past the event has helped support Engine, area food banks, local farmers, Heart of Biddeford, Biddeford Mills Museum and illuminated the smokestack off Main Street.  Schlaver has also  has previously served on other committees including the Mayor’s Ad Hoc Committee for the Downtown, and was a Biddeford Mills Museum board member.

“I have been keenly interested in the downtown and local politics in general since moving here in 2012 from Brooklyn,” said Schlaver. “There have been some excellent councilors in the past and their spirit of volunteerism, service and commitment to the city has always inspired me.”

Julian Schlaver is sworn into office as Ward 5 councilor by Biddeford City Clerk Kristy Cyr on Jan 24. Courtesy/City of Biddeford.

City maps show Ward 5 is a swath bounded largely by Elm and Alfred Streets stretching from near Five Points through the downtown.

Schlaver is a New Englander, raised by his father, a single parent, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He studied philosophy at New York University and spent 15 years working with worldwide brands, leading advertising agencies and was chief strategic officer and vice president of thelabnyc. He met Suger in New York City where the couple married and where son Cotton was born. The family moved to Biddeford after visiting the area for several years — his father owned a home in Saco.

He recalled his father’s involvement in municipal government.

“I fondly remember my dad taking me to watch the ballots be counted after each local election was finished,” he said in an email. “He was a career civil servant working as a consumer advocate for the City of Cambridge and still found time to be active in the community. I was always proud of his involvement even though it meant we weren’t as financially stable as some of my friends.”

Schlaver said he has a profound respect for and admires all those who serve their community.

“The people in municipal government are vital to the community and we are lucky in Biddeford to have people who really care and who are extremely professional and capable,” he said. “I’m thrilled to be able to get to know our team better. I am also thrilled to serve the residents of Ward 5 and the many people who work in, create in, and enjoy the downtown of Biddeford.”

He said Clearwater, his council predecessor, “has done a fantastic job.”

“I’m humbled and honored that the mayor nominated me for the remainder of her term,” he said. “I hope carry on Counselor Clearwater’s initiative to seek solutions and implement policy to help ensure that housing costs and opportunities exist for all our citizens.”

He noted the changes he has seen in Biddeford since moving there.

“Over the past twenty years the experience walking around our downtown has changed quite a bit and it is due to the initiative and hard work of many businesspeople, volunteers and the city staff,” said Schlaver. “You can see and feel a vibrancy here and I truly believe that the city on the whole is heading in a positive direction. I’m looking forward to continuing the progress and living and working in such a wonderful place.”