By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

Brian Phinney — Biddeford’s former chief financial officer, who also served several months as acting city manager – is today retired “and enjoying it,” but wants to make sure that the current city council will be using correct information at their next meeting, especially regarding materials that contain his signature

Phinney, who retired in January, recently sent a letter to Mayor Liam LaFountain, City Manager Truc Dever and each member of the city council to provide detailed information about an item that the city council is scheduled to consider at tonight’s (March 3, 2026) meeting,

In order to “ensure accuracy,” Phinney also sent a copy of his letter to the Biddeford Gazette and copied Finance Director Gerry Matherne and City Clerk Robin Patterson on his correspondence to provide “verification” of his statement in case questions are raised at tonight’s meeting.

Clarifying the city’s audit process

Specifically, Phinney wants to ensure that the council has historical details regarding the city’s FY 2024 audit related to the possible hiring of CBIZ, an accounting firm, that the council is considering for conducting the overdue audit.

The council will be asked whether to approve spending $103,000 to conduct the audit, including both the city and school department.

Phinney says the city is on the verge of a “duplicate” approval.

“The executive summary section states that this is a retroactive approval and discusses compliance with the purchasing policy rules as the basis for the retroactive approval,” Phinney wrote in his message to the council.

 “[This] item was brought to the Finance Committee for discussion on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 in the Other Business section [of the meeting] and was subsequently approved by the full council, unanimously, that same evening.”

Phinney suggested that council members review the video transcript of the Finance Committee’s Sept 2, 2025 meeting, suggesting that current city officials to the video time stamp of 22 minutes, 58 seconds.

“At [that] meeting, Gerry Matherne is asked by Mayor LaFountain (at that time, council president) to provide an update,” Phinney said. “She [Matherne] did and the committee members asked questions. 

“Funding was discussed as coming from the city’s audit account with an understanding that the expense would exceed the budgeted amount,” Phinney wrote. “This is the same account that is referenced in the March 3 [council] packet.”

Phinney points out that then Council President LaFountain made a motion to forward the item to city council for approval based on the dollar amount. 

The motion passed unanimously (Lafountain, Beaupre, Lessard), Phinney noted, emphasizing that item was listed in the Finance Committee’s packet under Other Business as a discussion item. 

The Finance Committee, Phinney said, voted on the item and advanced it to the council agenda.

Later that same evening (Sept. 2, 2025) – during the City Council meeting — Mayor Marty Grohman made an adjustment to the agenda, adding the item at the request of the Finance Committee, Phinney wrote, again suggesting that councilors watch the video transcript of that meeting, beginning at timestamp 7 minutes, 55 seconds.

“The item was discussed at timestamp 30 minutes, 28 seconds,” Phinney wrote, adding that the vote of the full council was unanimous. “Because this item was advanced by the Finance Committee the Order was created in series after the fact. 

Phinney says the he signed the CBIZ agreement later that evening, but only after Finance Committee and City Council approval — and in full compliance with the purchasing rules in effect at that time.

“I am bringing this to your attention so that you do not waste time at the meeting duplicating previous approvals,” Phinney wrote. “And [I want] to ensure that the record accurately reflects the conditions supporting my signature.”

Following the city council’s decision to suddenly remove former City Manager James Bennett from office, Phinney served as Biddeford’s acting city manager from Feb. 20, 2025, until City Manager Truc Dever began her duties in August 2025.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He has been covering Biddeford news and politics for nearly three decades. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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