By RANDY SEAVER | Editor The Biddeford Gazette has been taking a little bit of heat and some pushback from several readers – including former and current Biddeford city officials –about our decision on Sunday to share a rather scathing op-ed about the city that was published in The Maine Wire, another digital-only publication. That … Continue reading OPINION | Why did the Gazette share a negative op-ed about Biddeford from the Maine Wire?
Category: OPINION
OPINION | Working toward fair school funding
By REP. MARC MALON | Special to the Gazette Strong public schools are essential for strong communities. When we think about the pressures facing our school district and the accompanying pressure on local property taxpayers, an important factor is something called the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) formula, better known as the school-funding formula. The … Continue reading OPINION | Working toward fair school funding
Taking care of the people who feed us
By State Sen. HENRY INGWERSEN | Special to the Gazette March is a funny month. For a few days, the weather was warm, and I was checking my beehives. The bees were buzzing with activity, soaking up the sun. On Sunday, I watched heavy, wet snowflakes fall from the gray sky. The snow coated the … Continue reading Taking care of the people who feed us
Mayor issues statement about court case
Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain issued a public statement to all southern Maine media outlets regarding a recent York County Superior Court decision to dismiss a lawsuit that was filed against the Saco River Corridor Commission (SRCC) in December 2025. RELATED | Court rules against the city of Biddeford Please find below the mayor's unedited statement: … Continue reading Mayor issues statement about court case
OPINION | Why History Matters
By RANDY SEAVER | Editor One of the coolest things about doing something for more than 30 years is the memories you make along the way. As a political junkie – especially in regards to the city of Biddeford – it is extremely rewarding for me to have an archive of local political news that … Continue reading OPINION | Why History Matters
Saco has lost a former mayor; I have lost a friend
OPINION | RANDY SEAVER I am feeling so sad. I just learned from a reading a story in Saco Bay News that Bill Johnson – a former Saco mayor and city councilor -- recently passed away at the age of 92. This news leaves a gaping hole. I regret losing touch with Bill. He was … Continue reading Saco has lost a former mayor; I have lost a friend
OPINION | Biddeford should tie taxes to inflation
By BEN NEVEUX | Biddeford Over the past decade, Biddeford’s property taxes have steadily climbed. In 2013 the city’s total tax rate was $16.54 per $1,000 of valuation. By 2022 it had reached $18.23, with several years above $19 and even $20 along the way. That may not sound dramatic at first glance, but it … Continue reading OPINION | Biddeford should tie taxes to inflation
LETTER | Mayor’s column raises concerns
By DIANE SNOW | Cumberland, Maine Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain’s recent op-ed regarding the city’s new Institutional Zone Review Committee (Biddeford Gazette, Feb. 28, 2026) is very interesting. The mayor mentions that it is time to review the zone ordinance since it has not been updated in nearly 25 years. He refers to a … Continue reading LETTER | Mayor’s column raises concerns
Is the Gazette biased against UNE?
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor A former Biddeford resident who now lives in Ada, Mich., recently sent an email to the Gazette complaining that we have been “unfair and biased” toward the University of New England. In his March 6 email, Bernard Roy – a 1971 Biddeford High School graduate – expressed disappointment regarding the Gazette’s … Continue reading Is the Gazette biased against UNE?
OPINION | Protecting manufactured‑home residents protects municipal budgets
By KATHY DOBBINS, Special to the Gazette Maine’s manufactured‑home communities are facing pressures that many towns and cities can no longer afford to ignore. When municipalities choose not to adopt basic resident‑protection measures—such as rent‑stabilization ordinances or guardrails on pass‑through utility charges—the consequences fall directly onto residents and, ultimately, onto local taxpayers. Across the state, … Continue reading OPINION | Protecting manufactured‑home residents protects municipal budgets
LETTER: City is treating UNE unfairly
By BERNARD ROY, Special to the Gazette I understand there is a moratorium on UNE initiated by the mayor and city council. UNE is an institution that is a huge plus for Biddeford. They hire professionals as professors, adjunct professors and administrators who live in our community. More importantly, UNE educates young people from Maine … Continue reading LETTER: City is treating UNE unfairly
OPINION | A Charter Moment for Biddeford
By SAM PECOR, Special to the Gazette On Monday (March 2) nomination papers become available for one of the most consequential civic processes Biddeford has undertaken in decades: -- the election of a Charter Revision Commission. In November, voters approved Question Three (The Establishment of a Charter Review Commission) “for the purpose of revising the … Continue reading OPINION | A Charter Moment for Biddeford
OPINION | Mayor explains new UNE committee
By MAYOR LIAM LAFOUNTAIN, City of Biddeford On Monday, March 2 at 6 p.m., the Institutional Zone Review Committee will hold its first public hearing at City Hall. The meeting begins the public input phase of a broader review of how Biddeford regulates institutional development. For many residents, the term “Institutional Zone” may not be … Continue reading OPINION | Mayor explains new UNE committee
LETTER | Let’s focus on collaboration, not division
City is on the right track in its thoughtful, measured review of UNE development plans I read the recent letter regarding the University of New England review committee with concern, but also with a sense that the issue deserves a more balanced perspective. What was city thinking? Biddeford Gazette, Feb. 28, 2026 It is important … Continue reading LETTER | Let’s focus on collaboration, not division
READER OPINION | What was city thinking?
Weighted UNE committee is appalling and patently unfair to UNE By DIANE SNOW, Special to the Gazette A recent Portland Press Herald story regarding the committee set up to review the plans for University of New England [Biddeford Committee plans public hearing, Feb. 24, 2026] left me appalled because the committee is comprised primarily by … Continue reading READER OPINION | What was city thinking?
OPINION | Biddeford should keep Center
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain ran his campaign last year on a platform dedicated to restoring accountability and increasing transparency at City Hall. Those were good messages, and the voters agreed with LaFountain, giving him the edge over the incumbent former mayor. LaFountain pledged to hit the ground running, and he’s already … Continue reading OPINION | Biddeford should keep Center
OPINION: Life During Wartime, when reporters compete
When journalists compete, readers win | Good news for people in Biddeford Whether you’re buying a new car or just picking up the week’s groceries, you are always better off when you have choices and competition in the marketplace. It’s no different when it comes to the highly competitive world of journalism. Having choices about … Continue reading OPINION: Life During Wartime, when reporters compete
OPINION | Speaker Fecteau: ICE activities in Maine do not match our state’s values
By RYAN FECTEAU, Special to the Gazette A new legislative session is now underway, and there are many pressing matters in front of us that impact Biddeford residents and Mainers from all over. Whether addressing Maine’s housing crisis to overcoming federal funding cuts to important programs like SNAP and healthcare, we have a lot of … Continue reading OPINION | Speaker Fecteau: ICE activities in Maine do not match our state’s values
OPINION: City showed no compassion for the sisters who have supported Biddeford
Dear Editor: The moratorium on the sale of St Joseph's convent by the city council took me by surprise. It is not just that the city council appears so unwelcoming to the university, but it is their callous disregard for the plight of the nuns who so crucially need the income for their continued maintenance. … Continue reading OPINION: City showed no compassion for the sisters who have supported Biddeford
OPINION: Is Graham Platner more than image?
Dear Editor: Friday morning, I engaged with a post on the Instagram account of U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner. My comment was not a personal attack, but a critique of messaging and political culture. Earlier that day, I had been watching a panel of reporters, cultural critics and activists discussing a racist meme Donald Trump … Continue reading OPINION: Is Graham Platner more than image?
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