Belanger hopes to be Biddeford’s next mayor

Norman Belanger points to his homegrown roots and professional accomplishments as reasons why he should be Biddeford’s next mayor.

He said he is the only candidate who can bridge gaps between lifelong residents and a growing population of newer residents; a candidate with an intimate understanding of the city’s history and a vision for its future.

Belanger, 68, grew up in Biddeford, the son of textile mills workers. In fact, Belanger himself worked in those same mills when he was a student.

After graduating from Biddeford High School in 1975, Belanger attended Harvard University both as an undergraduate studying economics and later as a law school student who graduated in the top 10 percent of his class.

Belanger’s interest in local politics began when he was still in high school, where he was valedictorian and class president. In fact, he was selected to serve as “mayor for a day” during Lucien ‘Babe’ Dutremble’s administration.

Today, Belanger says he is semi-retired and is still a partner at Verrill Dana, a highly respected, Portland-based law firm.

Belanger and his wife Betty have three children and eight grandchildren.

He joined the city council in 2017, appointed by then mayor Alan Casavant to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Councilor Rick Laverriere. Belanger has since won three consecutive elections as the council’s Ward Six representative, including one term as council president.

Belanger says the city needs “strong leadership,” a central theme of his campaign to oust Mayor Marty Grohman.

“I have the ability and the experience of being able to bring people together,” he said. “There has been an ongoing loss of public trust. That needs to be fixed. We simply have to improve our responsiveness to our citizens.”

Belanger also said the public has a role to play in improving the relationship between the public and City Hall.

“We have to move beyond just belly aching on Facebook,” Belanger said. “Part of the distrust is rooted in perception, but it is also rooted in reality.”

“There has been an ongoing loss
of public trust. That needs to be fixed.”

— Norman Belanger

Belanger said he wants to find new and innovative ways to better connect local government leaders to the public.

“If we can improve the dialogue, then we can begin to restore public trust,” he said. “We make better decisions when we have robust public input.”

Belanger said a shifting media landscape has exacerbated the issues related to communication between City Hall and the public.

“Many of our constituents are missing out on information because we no longer have printed newspapers,” he said. “The shifting technology requires the public to actively seek out the news, and older residents may not have the savvy to find the news that is important to them.”

Belanger said that if elected, one of his top goals will be to finally update the city’s Comprehensive Plan, which has not been updated for 25 years.

When it comes to the city’s budget and increasing property taxes, Belanger said a “realistic approach” needs to be the cornerstone of all financial planning at City Hall.

“We’re not doing enough to prioritize our expenses,” he said, pointing out that he has tried to limit spending during creation of the annual budget, including voting against the hiring of a facilities manager and funding vacant positions in the police department.

Belanger said he will not be supporting the upcoming recreation bond question. “I certainly support the city’s recreational assets, but the timing is bad,” he said. “We have to be realistic. We simply cannot fully fund every good idea. We need to prioritize.”

“I think Biddeford is still going through an amazing renaissance,” he said. “But we are also seeing that energy begin to plateau.”

When asked why he is running for mayor, Belanger said it’s all about a deep love and appreciation of his hometown.

“I am proud of this city,” he said. “I believe that I have the temperament and experience to lead us forward.”

For more information about Belanger’s campaign, please visit his website:  norm4mayor.com

Note: The Biddeford Gazette will also be publishing interviews with the other mayoral candidates this week.

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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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