LETTER | Biddeford doesn’t face a false choice. It faces a necessary one

April 24, 2026April 25, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

Editor:

The idea that Biddeford must “hold multiple truths at once” sounds reasonable, but it sidesteps a harder reality: priorities require trade-offs. When costs are rising for residents, choosing not to limit spending is a choice—one that shows up directly in higher property taxes.

Organizations like Heart of Biddeford played an important role years ago in revitalizing a struggling downtown. That success should be acknowledged. But success also raises a fair question: why should taxpayers continue subsidizing an organization that was expected to become self-sustaining?

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Downtown Biddeford is no longer defined by empty storefronts. Private investment, rising property values, and increased demand suggest that the original mission has largely been achieved. At some point, continuing public funding shifts from investment to dependency.

The claim that reducing funding for community organizations is simply “cut, cut, cut” mischaracterizes the issue. The real question is whether every program funded 10 or 15 years ago still delivers measurable, citywide value today. If it doesn’t, reallocating or reducing that funding isn’t an attack on community—it’s responsible governance.

Equally important, not all “community investment” is equal. Funding that expands the tax base, improves infrastructure, or directly reduces long-term costs benefits everyone. Funding that primarily sustains organizational payrolls—without clear, broad impact—deserves closer scrutiny.

Residents aren’t asking for a city with no services or vision. They’re asking for discipline, accountability, and relief from rising costs. That’s not a narrow perspective—it’s a practical one shared by many households trying to keep up.

Biddeford doesn’t face a false choice. It faces a necessary one: aligning spending with today’s realities, not yesterday’s successes.

Ben Neveux | Biddeford

Editor’s Note | Ben Neveux is a member of the Biddeford Gazette’s Community Advisory Council.

Go here to submit your own letter to the editor | SUBMIT A LETTER

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READER FEEDBACK

ELIZABETH CANTARA | Ben is so correct. Well spoken. Everything has its time. Heart of Biddeford has run its course.

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Biddeford Gazette announces three new advisory council members

April 14, 2026April 15, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

John Gold, Kayla J. Lewis and Annika Sovetsky each bring a unique set of talents and perspectives to the Gazette’s Community Advisory Council

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By RANDY SEAVER | Editor

The Biddeford Gazette is very pleased to announce that three more community members have joined our Community Advisory Council.

The Community Advisory Council (CAC) is a nine-member group of volunteers who each want to see the Gazette succeed and grow as a community news organization in Biddeford.

Each CAC member brings a unique set of talents, experience and perspective that is used to help guide and direct the Gazette in fulfilling its mission to provide our readers with fair, comprehensive and professional news coverage about the city of Biddeford.

John Gold was a reporter and wire editor at the Journal Tribune, an award-winning daily publication that served Biddeford for more than a century before being shuttered a few years ago.

Kayla J. Lewis is a communications professional who previously worked as a reporter with a former community news publication.

Annika Sovetsky is a Biddeford native who is now studying psychology with an emphasis on early childhood development at the University of Maine.

Craig Pendleton – who also serves as treasurer of the Gazette’s parent company – is the chair of the nine-member community advisory council.

“I’m really excited about the fact that John, Kayla and Annika have agreed to join us in our ongoing effort to build a valuable community resource,” Pendleton said. “These folks enhance an already dedicated and talented group. Each of our members represents a core segment of our community. We value their insight and their willingness to join our team.”

Laura Seaver is the publisher of the Biddeford Gazette and said the organization’s advisory council is a critical part of ensuring that the Gazette remains focused on the greater community.

“If the Gazette is going to truly serve the community, it must have the pulse of the people who live, work and play here,” Seaver said. “We need and want constructive feedback from the community. We want to hear a diversity of new ideas and suggestions.”

Other members of the Gazette’s Community Advisory Council include, former Biddeford Mayor Bonita Pothier; retired business leader Bill Southwick; Vassie Fowler, executive director of the Seeds of Hope; Ben Neveux, a lifelong resident and retired Air Force veteran; and Victoria Gordon, an active member of Biddeford’s arts community and a graphic designer.

For more information about the Gazette’s Community Advisory Council and its members | Biddeford Gazette Community Advisory Council

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OPINION | Gazette was wrong about library funding request

April 12, 2026April 12, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

By BEN NEVEUX | Biddeford

The Biddeford Gazette’s editor recently opined that Biddeford residents are being asked—again—to accept a familiar argument: rising taxes are unfortunate, but necessary, and worthy social programs like the McArthur Library should be shielded from scrutiny because they serve the public good.

(City should fully fund McArthur Library’s budget request; Biddeford Gazette, April 11, 2026)

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The Gazette’s framing misses the point.

No one is questioning the value of the library. It is — and has long been — a meaningful community asset since 1863.

But calling something a “gem” does not exempt it—or anything else—from the basic discipline required in times like these. When Biddeford families are tightening their belts, city government should be doing the same.

The real issue isn’t whether the library provides value. It’s whether the city can continue increasing the financial burden on residents year after year without first demonstrating fiscal control and accountability.

After multiple consecutive tax hikes—and with school and county increases still looming—residents are justified in asking: where does it stop?

Invoking cooperation and compromise sounds reasonable, but it often becomes a way to avoid hard decisions. Stewardship means prioritizing core obligations, scrutinizing every request, and recognizing that “good” programs still compete for limited resources.

A zero increase in the library’s budget may sound responsible in isolation but it isn’t.

The Gazette failed to mention that the library’s support request quadrupled in recent years before they asked for the zero increase on the million dollars they received last year.

It isn’t a zero increase when placed in the context of an overall budget that continues to grow well beyond what taxpayers can sustain.

A zero increase in the library’s budget
may sound responsible in isolation
but it isn’t.

Yes, taxes fund a civilized society. But unchecked spending—no matter how well-intentioned—undermines the very people that society depends upon.

Biddeford doesn’t need more rhetoric about shared sacrifice. It needs leadership willing to draw firm lines, demand accountability and protect taxpayers from becoming the city’s default solution to every budget challenge.

Ben A. Neveux, Biddeford

NOTE: Ben Neveux is a member of the Biddeford Gazette’s Community Advisory Council.

If you would like to share your thoughts on this subject — or on any other issue reported by the Biddeford Gazette — please go here to submit a letter to the editor.

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OPINION | Biddeford should tie taxes to inflation

March 12, 2026March 12, 2026 ~ Randy Seaver ~ 1 Comment

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 represents roughly a 10 percent increase in the tax rate over ten years—and that figure doesn’t include the dramatic rise in property valuations that has pushed many homeowners’ actual tax bills much higher.

At the same time, many Biddeford residents are facing the same reality as everyone else: inflation, rising insurance costs, and household budgets that do not grow automatically each year.

That is why this moment—when the next Biddeford Charter Commission is being considered—is the right time to discuss a structural reform: tying property-tax increases to inflation.

Across the country, municipalities are experimenting with tax caps or inflation-indexed limits to ensure government grows at roughly the same pace as the economy that supports it. The principle is simple. If inflation is 3 percent, the default growth of government should not exceed 3 percent unless voters explicitly approve it.

Such a rule does not prevent the city from funding important priorities. If voters want expanded services, new schools, or large infrastructure projects, they can approve overrides at the ballot box. But it does create an important discipline: government must justify spending increases rather than assuming taxpayers will absorb them.

An inflation-linked property-tax cap would also force difficult—but healthy—budget conversations. When revenue growth is limited, cities must prioritize core services, reduce waste, and rethink programs that may no longer be essential. In other words, government must make the same choices that Biddeford families make every day.

“. . . growth should not automatically translate into ever-rising tax burdens for the people who built this community. . .”

Biddeford is in a period of remarkable growth. Downtown investment has surged, property values have increased, and new residents are discovering the city’s character and potential. But growth should not automatically translate into ever-rising tax burdens for the people who built this community long before the boom.

The upcoming Charter Commission presents a rare opportunity to place long-term guardrails on municipal finance. A charter provision tying property-tax increases to inflation—unless voters approve otherwise—would create predictability for homeowners, discipline for city government, and transparency for taxpayers.

Biddeford’s future is bright. The question now is whether the city will adopt policies that ensure prosperity growth does not come at the expense of affordability. The next Charter Commission should seize this moment and put a sensible inflation-based tax limit before the voters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Ben Neveux is a Biddeford resident. He is also a member of the Biddeford Gazette’s Advisory Board.

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NOTE: The Biddeford Gazette strongly encourages reader feedback and public commentary regarding our coverage and issues directly related to the city of Biddeford. To submit a letter to the editor or guest column, please contact us at biddefordgazette@gmail.com

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OPINION: Teachers’ endorsement sends wrong message

October 31, 2025 ~ Randy Seaver ~ Leave a comment

By BEN NEVEUX, Special to the Biddeford Gazette

The Biddeford Teachers Association’s decision to endorse two candidates while leaving Norman Belanger off its list may have been meant to project strength — but instead, it sends a mixed and disappointing message.

When an organization meant to represent fairness and unity appears to play politics, the credibility of its endorsement suffers.

Endorsements are supposed to mean something. They should signal confidence in a candidate’s record, character and commitment to the people they serve. By dividing its support and opening the door to statewide PAC money, the union risks turning what should be a local, values-based decision into a political transaction.

That’s not what Biddeford voters expect from their educators’ representatives.

“Endorsements are supposed
to mean something.”
— Ben Neveux

Leaving Norman Belanger off the endorsement list doesn’t just look like a strategic move — it looks like a snub. Mr. Belanger has a long record of public service and deep roots in this community. To pretend that doesn’t matter undermines the idea that endorsements are earned through experience and trust.

This decision doesn’t strengthen the union’s influence — it weakens it.

Endorsements should lift up leaders who’ve proven their dedication to Biddeford, not serve as bargaining chips in a broader political game. The union owes its members, and this city, better judgment.

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Disclosure: Ben Neveux is a member of the Biddeford Gazette’s volunteer advisory board.

Happy? Not Happy? The Biddeford Gazette welcomes feedback from our readers, especially when it comes to different opinions and perspectives. For more information, about how to send a Letter to the Editor or Guest Column, please contact us.

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