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"In addition, Knight informed residents of an upcoming billing increase of approximately 32%." September 2, 2026, At last night's city council meeting, Interim City Manager Cornell Knight informed Mayor LaFountain and city councilors the city has been overbilling residents for sewer fees for the past 6 years. If the above sentence got your blood boiling a bit, do not read this next sentence - In addition, Knight informed residents of an upcoming billing increase of approximat

"...the police department has expended roughly $35,000 in overtime funds, just in the matter of a month... As we continue to wait for the final results of what the AG is going to do, irrespective of anything else we should be made whole... because we didn't cause this event." August 25, 2026, A unique moment played out this past tuesday at the Biddeford City Council Meeting. During Biddeford City Council President Roger Beaupre's closing remarks of the meeting, while discussi

~Letter to the Buzz~ By Kelsey Cummings, Ward 5 August 19, 2026, Obviously, how the government should work is a hot topic right now. But it should work, right? There’s a difference between a dysfunctional government and a non-functioning one, and now we’re far past the breaking point. Biddeford has endured everything from delays in codes, vacancies throughout the city, misconduct, lawsuits, late audits, federal employees intimidating our communities, skyrocketing rent, never-

"I did not hear back from the auditor last week". - Cornell Knight, Biddeford Interim City Manager August 18, 2026, After over a year of waiting with multiple delays and approval of additional expenses to cover the work, Biddeford residents were once again informed, that the City of Biddeford’s 2024 financial audit (yes you read the date right), is still not complete. At tonight's city council meeting, Interim City Manager Cornell Knight informed Mayor LaFountain and the Bidd

July 30, 2026, Letter of resignation: Mayor LaFountain, Council President Beaupre, and Fellow Councilors, It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation from the Biddeford City Council due to an upcoming change in my residence that will place me outside the boundaries of Ward 4. My husband and I have been searching for a new home for well over a year. After several unsuccessful offers on homes within Ward 4, we finally found a home that we are excited to begin the next

By Danica Lamontagne, City of Biddeford Communications July 20, 2026, The Biddeford City Council will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, July 21, since the fatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by federal immigration agents. The regularly scheduled meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Little Theater at Biddeford High School to accommodate anticipated community attendance. Following the tragic shooting in Biddeford on Monday, July 13, Mayor Liam LaFountain and mem

~Letter to the Buzz~ By: Jason Litalien, Ward 3 and Independent Candidate Maine Senate 32 July 8, 2026, Last year, Biddeford voters heard over and over that City Hall needed greater fiscal accountability. We were promised that taxpayer dollars would be managed more carefully, spending would receive greater scrutiny, and government would make better financial decisions. A year later, Biddeford homeowners will soon open their property tax bills and find that we are paying even

By Joshua Wolfe, Biddeford Buzz, Contributing Writer "I, Liam LaFountain, Mayor of the City of Biddeford, do hereby recognize Age-Friendly Biddeford as the recipient of the 2026 Spirit of America Award, and extend the City's deepest gratitude to every volunteer who gives their time and energy to this mission; for Biddeford is a better, kinder, and more connected place becuase of their service." July 7, 2026, At tonight's City Council meeting, Mayor LaFountain and City Council

By Alan Bennett, University of New England, Office of Communications "Residents in Biddeford and Portland report the University's highest ratings for reputation, integrity, and community impact". View the full survey results June 22, 2026, The University of New England today released the results of a comprehensive public opinion survey conducted by Emerson College Polling, finding strong levels of support, trust, and confidence in the University across Maine. Ratings were esp

~In addition, "since the Interim City Manager does not live within commuting distance, the City will pay for overnight accommodations at the government rate."~ June 15, 2026, As announced on June 3, Mayor Liam LaFountain nominated Cornell Knight of Bar Harbor to be Biddeford's newest Interim City Manager. According to meeting documents, if approved at tomorrow's City Council meeting, "the Interim City Manager will serve in that role until the permanent City Manager is appoint

"Menard just upped the anti... and it's getting kind of intense." June 9, 2026, For those following the contract negotiations between Thornton Academy and the Saco School Department, Menard just upped the anti... and it's getting kind of intense. Basically (and in the words of a millennial) in one single action, TA Headmaster Rene Menard said, "ok, you want to see gangsta? Enjoy tomorrow's school board meeting Superintendent Jeremy Ray". Say what you want about him, Menard is

-Attorney Sartoris’ framing of the word “Accidents.” is important. How many times have you heard, “Sorry, it was just an accident.” The connotation of “accident” is that no one is at fault.- By Patrick Conlon, Founder Bike BS June 3, 2026, Very recently Maines’ Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris vowed to bring criminal and/or civil charges against drivers who cause crashes that injure our most vulnerable road users, pedestrians and bicyclists. In 2025 Cumber

By Danica Lamontagne, City of Biddeford Communications, Contributing Writer June 3, 2026, Mayor Liam LaFountain today announced his nomination of Cornell Knight to serve as Interim City Manager for the City of Biddeford. The nomination will be presented to the Biddeford City Council for consideration at its meeting on Tuesday, June 16th. If confirmed, Knight would begin serving as Interim City Manager on June 17th. Knight brings more than four decades of Maine municipal manag

June 2, 2026, This evening, Biddeford City Councilors voted 6 to 3 to table a proposed Manufactured Housing Ordinance indefinitely. Councilors, Vadnais, Lessard, Pierson, Doughty, Boston, and Beaupre voted in favor Whereas, Councilors, Cote, Woods, and Kurtz opposed tabling the ordinance. There was quite of bit of discussion from the council as well as comments from members of the public on the ordinance. After listening to the council discuss the topic, it seems the reason f

By Loren McCready, Biddeford Buzz, Contributing Writer Biddeford is at a crucial point in its Comprehensive Plan process. This Wednesday, the Planning Board will review several major chapters, including Natural Resources, Water Resources, Existing Land Use, and Future Land Use. Soon after, the plan will move to the City Council for final approval before being sent back to the state. This matters because the Comprehensive Plan helps determine where growth happens, where public

May 26, 2026, According to University of New England’s Associate Vice President of Communications, Sarah Delage, "University of New England (UNE) today announced it has filed an appeal in Maine Superior Court after a series of actions by the City of Biddeford that have disrupted approved projects, undermined established regulatory processes, and jeopardized significant investments in the community." The legal action follows the Biddeford Zoning Board of Appeals’ decision to u

May 19, 2026, Although not the full amount that was cut from the budget for the Biddeford Police and Fire Departments, during tonight's second and final reading of the City of Biddeford's FY 27 budget, Council President Roger Beaupre motioned to add back $60,000 for the Police and $25,000 for Fire - and the council voted unanimously in favor! Prior to the motion being made, several residents spoke out regarding the public service cuts and asked the council to consider adding

By: Jason Litalien, Contributing Writer, Independent Candidate Maine Senate 32 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a program from the State that allows us to retain additional tax money received from that district without having to share it with the County or the State. When structured properly, TIFs can be a great tool for redevelopment. Unfortunately, that is where part of the problem begins. Another part of the problem is the Credit Enhancement Agreement, which is a public su

"...in an effort to involve community members, Stantec will be hosting "public engagement feedback sessions, during the planning process". May 5, 2026, This past February we published a story announcing the City of Biddeford was "accepting proposals for the 5-Points intersection" located in the area of 392 Elm Street. The previous article about the proposal announcment can be viewed here: https://www.biddefordbuzz.com/post/biddeford-city-accepting-proposals-for-5-points-inte

"My belief is that.... the moratorium was in effect" - ZBA Board Member May 4, 2026, A big win for those who have expressed opposition to the University of New England building a new pier along the Saco River - at tonight's Biddeford Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) hearing, the ZBA voted to uphold the City's recent application denials issued to the University of New England pertaining to trees being "cleared" along the waterway, as well as the demolition of a building (Leonard