Although Biddeford’s municipal elections are a non-partisan affair, the two candidates hoping to represent Ward Two on the Biddeford City Council each offer a stark difference in their campaigns.
Former city councilor John McCurry is currently a member of the Biddeford School Committee.
McCurry, 68, previously served as the Ward Two representative from 1997 to 2007 and again from 2013 to 2021, serving a total of four terms as the council president.
Abigail Woods, 36, has been a Biddeford resident for 11 years; as a renter for six years and as a homeowner for five years.
Woods currently serves on the city’s Recycling and Waste Management Commission. She also does volunteer work with the Heart of Biddeford, City Theater, Better Biddeford and the Twin City Tenants’ Alliance.
McCurry – well known for his fiscally conservative perspective – said city spending is his top concern.
“We need to prioritize our spending,” McCurry said. “Our current trajectory of hefty property tax increases are just not sustainable, especially for seniors, working families and those on fixed incomes.”
Woods said the city is currently facing what she described as “a housing crisis.”
“Housing is our most acute issue and one we’re not alone in facing rent and tax increases that are impacting long-time residents who are losing their housing,” she said. “New housing construction cannot happen fast enough to meet the need, particularly for average households.”
Woods says the skyrocketing costs of housing have caused “more and more people into homelessness without a safety net.”
“While we are starting to address some of these issues, we have an uphill battle to truly address the crisis.” Woods said. “I believe we need to explore more creative solutions and engage with the public on the challenges they’re facing. Housing is a basic human right, and we owe it to our community to ensure that everyone has safe, stable and affordable housing.”
McCurry said the city should focus on commercial development to help soften the impact of increasing property taxes on homeowners.
“It’s not just new housing,” he said. “We also need to look at innovative ways in which we can build our commercial tax base. This approach creates more tax revenue, more local job opportunities and less of a burden when it comes to city services, such as our schools.”
McCurry described changes to the current school funding formula as a brewing nightmare for taxpayers.
“As the city’s valuations increase, we lose state funding in the form of General Purpose Aid (GPA) for education,” he said. “Our school system is feeling the pressure of increasing demands for service and state mandates.”
McCurry described Biddeford’s current school funding challenges as a “chicken and egg” quagmire. “Decreased student enrollments actually hurt us, but increased enrollments mean higher cost for services. Our backs are against the wall and we need to be creative and innovative in our approach. It might be hard to believe but Saco is getting more state funding than Biddeford.”
Woods said the city is now experiencing lack of public trust, pointing to a bigger divide between policy makers and their constituents.
“The last several years have been challenging for Biddeford, particularly around lack of communication and transparency,” Woods said. “We must do better to engage with the community to hear and address their concerns – both immediate responses and long-term planning toward solutions that will make Biddeford more resilient.”
Woods said citizens should expect elected officials and city staff to be active listeners and problem solvers.
“The last several years have been
— Abigail Woods
challenging for Biddeford, particularly around
lack of communication and transparency.”
McCurry said he is happy that Biddeford has a new city manager, but also says the mayor and council should have taken action sooner to get rid of the former city manager.
“All the red flags were there,” McCurry said. “From an outsider’s perspective it feels as if the current administration was very reluctant to face the obvious. I understand that we all want the city to look good, but we also have to be willing to acknowledge and address whatever problems come down the pike.”
McCurry said many people have complained to him about a lack of “customer service” from City Hall, including a four-day work week.
“We’re still two years behind in getting our audit done, and people I talk to have not seen a sewer bill in months,” he said. “We need to do a better job of getting information out to the people.”
Woods said she believe in “fiscal responsibility rather than fiscal conservatism.”
“These concepts are often conflated,” she said. “Fiscal conservatism focuses largely on reducing spending, where fiscal responsibility is a broader lens that looks to have balanced budgets and is focused on financial stability in the short and long term.”
When asked why he is seeking a return to the council, McCurry said he has a deep love for the city.
“You can’t just sit back and complain,” he said. “I want to be able to live here for a few more years before rising taxes force me out of my home. Someday, I’d like to retire.”
McCurry says he has the experience and skills to “hit the ground running” if elected. Ward Two is a working-class neighborhood that needs a representative who will keep a close eye on spending.
McCurry says the city has a multitude of assets but needs better oversight of its resources. “There is a lot of work to do, and I’m ready for the challenge.”
You can’t just sit back and complain.
— John McCurry
I want to be able to live here
for a few more years before
rising taxes force me out of my home.”
Woods said she hopes to use my knowledge and expertise, as well as her passion for Biddeford, for the good of the entire community.
“Over the course of my career, I have served as the director of a Main Street America community nonprofit, involving community engagement, economic development, and event planning.
She said her previous employment as the city’s community development coordinator gave her experience in managing complex grants and improving community outreach.
“When I moved to Maine from West Virginia in 2014, I moved directly to Biddeford. “I wanted to live in a place that had a rich community that I could be involved in, and I have done so the entire time I’ve lived here.
“I feel fortunate to live in a place with such a strong sense of community, rich history, and access to nature, and want everyone who loves Biddeford to be able to stay here, be involved, and thrive.”
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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com
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