Saco City Councilor Joseph Gunn resigned from his position early this week, with the council recognizing his resignation on Monday night.

Gunn’s reason for resignation, though not stated in his resignation letter, is a recent move that took him out of Ward 3.

Since Gunn’s seat was not up for reelection this year, a special election will take place in order to fill his seat.

The City Council reluctantly voted to recognize Gunn’s resignation at Monday night’s meeting, with several councilors sharing their sadness over Gunn’s departure.

Councilor Michael Burman, Ward 4, said Gunn’s resignation made him “incredibly sad.”

“He’s been a great friend, a great colleague, and very good for the city,” Burman said. “Of course, we have to vote to accept it, but I wish we didn’t.”

Councilor Nathan Johnston, Ward 7, echoed Burman’s sentiment, sharing that he remembered seeing Gunn in the audience before he joined the council.

“Oftentimes, he was the only member in the audience,” Johnston said. “I found it remarkable how easy he was to converse with, and very cordial.”

When Gunn joined the council, Johnston said, he brought the same traits with him.

“We may not have agreed 100% of the time, but we always found a way to work together,” Johnston said. “I appreciated that.”

Johnston also commented on the city’s charter, noting that it “doesn’t feel right” for a councilor to have to remove themselves from the council due to a change in location.

“In the future, I think we should give a grace period so they can get back in a ward,” Johnston said. “I think that would do us all better as a community.”

Councilor Douglas Edwards, Ward 1, thanked Gunn for his mentorship through Edwards’ first year in office.

“He has been very helpful, and I will be a better councilor because of it,” Edwards said.

Gunn was first elected to the City Council in 2019, and was reelected in 2021. Born in Portland, Gunn graduated from Thornton Academy in 1999, and later attended the University of Orono.

During his time on the council, Gunn served as the council liaison for the Historic Preservation Commission, and most recently as deputy mayor. The role of deputy mayor was filled by Johnston on Monday night.

Johnston will serve as deputy mayor through Dec. 1.