They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.
That’s how I felt on Tuesday evening, sitting in the back row and watching the second and final public hearing on Biddeford’s proposed budget for the upcoming year.
In fact, Tuesday’s meeting was almost a carbon copy of last year’s public hearing on the city’s budget.
On Tuesday, former city councilor Stephen St. Cyr was the only member of the public who spoke in favor of trimming the projected $65.5 million budget, an increase of 5.83 percent, which would require a tax (mil) rate of $15.05.
Sure, a handful of other people spoke up, but they were there asking the council to not cut their requests for funding, including representatives from the Heart of Biddeford, the McArthur Library and the Biddeford Community Gardens.
By my count, the council saw a 4-1 margin of support for the budget.
Last year, only one member of the public spoke on behalf of beleaguered taxpayers. That’s right, it was Stephen St. Cyr. Not a peep from any other member of the public, except for those who had their hands outstretched for some municipal pork.
And then, autumn comes and people begin to open their property tax bills. Now residents go ballistic, clutching both their hearts and their wallets.
“This is outrageous,” they scream. “I can’t afford to live in my own house! Before you know it, dogs and cats will be living together.”
A total meltdown with all sorts of apoplectic flair, flooding social media accounts from near and far.
As St. Cyr pointed out on Tuesday, this latest increase comes on the back of similar increases last year and the year before, a sum impact of nearly 20 percent in local taxes.
A somewhat innocuous zoning change
got obliterated, preventing another
pizzeria from opening across the street.
But it was about traffic flow . . .
Right. Whatever (wink, wink).
Every year, it’s the same thing. I encourage people to get involved. I urge them to call their councilors or go to a meeting. And what do I get? Mostly crickets and some lame ass excuses.
“It doesn’t matter what I say. The council doesn’t listen to me.”
“The council doesn’t care about the little people, and they’ll just do what they want.”
“I’m too busy to go a meeting.”
“I didn’t know there was a meeting.”
My response? Bullshit.
You wanna see the council turn on a dime? Do what the owner of Pizza by Alex did last year. Flood the council chambers with people wearing Pizza By Alex t-shirts, including the owner and scores of employees and local fans.
A somewhat innocuous zoning change got obliterated, preventing another pizzeria from opening across the street. But it was about traffic flow . . . Right. Whatever (wink, wink).
City councilors are just like anybody else. Their opinions can be swayed, and for a stipend of $85 a month (net) you can’t expect any of them to be fierce profiles in courage.
Politicians know which way the wind blows. My grandmother always told me that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. That’s just the way it works. It’s damn hard to raise your hand and say no when you’re looking over a sea of angry and hopeful faces. Please tell me you won’t support slaughtering puppies
Bitching on Facebook doesn’t cut it.
So, let’s look at those excuses. 1.) The council will and does listen to the people who actually show up, call or send an email. It happens all the time. 2.) The council does care. They’re just in the difficult position of trying to make the right decision. 3.) Too busy? Too busy to send an email or make a phone call, but you have plenty of time to bitch on Facebook? Please. 4.) I didn’t know. You are a member of a community. You have an inherent responsibility to be an engaged and informed citizen.
Since I have probably pissed off Pizza By Alex (a felony offense in Biddeford), allow me to get a couple of other things off my chest.
To the Heart of Biddeford, the McArthur Library, the Community Gardens, the teen center and the food pantries and all the other social service groups who help make our community a great place to live: thank you for your work and service. But I also hope you guys are looking for efficiencies and alternative sources of funding.
Do we really need three food pantries? Are there opportunities for you guys to work together, collaborate?
We are funding a museum and a cultural and heritage center. Another opportunity for collaboration?
And how many years in a row do we need to fork over $20k on downtown Christmas wreaths and lights?
To the McArthur Library, when are you guys actually going to start that capital fundraising campaign you’re always talking about? Maybe this is the year when you want to tap into you rather comfortable source of private endowments?
In the movie Scarface, narcotics king Tony Montanna is negotiating with a bank president who launders the drug money. At one point, Tony gets frustrated and says, “I know how this goes: you go high, I go low.”
Thus, if you really need $750,000, you ask the city for $1 million at budget time. That way the council can slash your funding request and you still get your $750,000. Otherwise known as a win-win scenario.
What do I want?
The world, and everything in it.
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THE BIDDEFORD GAZETTE 
Well done!Think about how you can put a smi
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Randy,
Thank you for the work you do to keep the citizens of Biddeford informed. I truly appreciate it and make a point to read every article with interest. I often find myself agreeing with your conclusions, even though I’m one of those residents who has a hard time attending meetings in person due to personal commitments. I usually catch up by watching the recordings later that evening or sometime during the week.
I have attended a couple of meetings in person over the past 6–9 months, and to be honest, I found the experience discouraging. That said, I’ve never been one to let discouragement dictate my actions or decisions.
One point where I strongly disagree with the meeting protocol is the restriction against addressing council members by name during public comment. Really? What are we afraid of? These individuals have chosen to step into the challenging world of public service. Shouldn’t they also be willing to hear directly from the people they represent? And I also noticed that rarely does a question ever get answered. They listen politely and that’s it.
When I’ve had to tighten my own personal budget—which I’ve certainly had to do, especially as my property taxes have skyrocketed since 2021—I take a hard look at everything. Nothing is off the table. I assess every expense, no matter how small, and make the tough decisions about where to cut back or find alternative solutions. I believe our city should take the same approach when it comes to managing taxpayer dollars.
In times of crisis—such as now, when taxpayers are feeling financial pressure from all sides—we need to reassess every expenditure with fresh eyes. We must be willing to ask tough questions, make difficult decisions, and accept some discomfort in the process.
Yes, the library should consider using its endowments to help close the budget gap. Social service agencies should explore more private funding sources rather than relying so heavily on taxpayer support. And the organizations that promote our city and local businesses should turn to those same businesses for support, not the taxpayers.
While no single cut or adjustment in these categories will dramatically change the financial outlook, taking these steps sends a clear and important message: we hear the concerns of taxpayers and are willing to lead with both responsibility and creativity.
And should we even begin to talk about salaries and benefits of public employees? It may be uncomfortable, but if everything is truly on the table, then nothing should be off-limits for honest evaluation.
I’d love to see new voices and perspectives elected to the council—people with fresh ideas and the courage to challenge the status quo. But in a city like Biddeford, as in many parts of Maine, we continue to elect the same individuals year after year and somehow expect different results. How do we change that pattern? It’s a question worth seriously asking—especially as we, the taxpayers, are forced to make deeper and more personal budget cuts just to keep up with property taxes in a city we care deeply about, even as it begins to feel like it’s pushing us away.
Thank you again,
Cheryl Sullivan
Ward 6
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