By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

The race to become Biddeford’s next mayor has now turned into a three-way contest.

City Council President Liam LaFountain told the Biddeford Gazette this week that he will give up his Ward Seven council seat to join the race for mayor.

LaFountain now joins fellow city councilor Norman Belanger in opposing incumbent Mayor Marty Grohman.

“I’ve had many conversations with neighbors across the city, and there’s a clear message coming through. Too many decisions are being made without enough accountability, and I agree,” LaFountain said. “City government exists to serve the public. People are frustrated because they feel unheard, and in recent years, we’ve drifted away from the kind of leadership that takes responsibility and delivers results. It’s time for a course correction.”

LaFountain, a former member of the city’s Recreation Commission, first joined the council in 2021. Two years later, he was unopposed for his reelection to represent Ward Seven. He then won a bid to become the council president (6-3) ousting Belanger from that role.

“The public interest must be at the center of every decision Biddeford makes,” LaFountain said.

LaFountain, 28, is employed as a senior data analyst for Healthcare Purchaser Alliance, a non-profit organization headquartered in Falmouth. He grew up in Biddeford, and his father Llyod LaFountain served on the Biddeford School Committee and as a state senator in the late 1990s.

The younger LaFountain is often described by his peers and other political observers as “thoughtful, analytical, measured and hard-working.”

LaFountain said that his professional experience as a data analyst will help him bring a fact-based, detail-oriented approach to City Hall. “I know for sure that smart decisions start with good information,” he said.

In recent months, LaFountain has pointedly raised concerns about controversial development deals involving credit enhancements and tax increment financing, proposals that have drawn the ire of many residents.

“Pointing out only the good news
doesn’t solve problems. The voters
know we have serious problems,
and they want hard facts.

True leadership is telling the truth
about a difficult issue and
then finding the best solution.”

— Liam LaFountain

He has also pushed for stronger financial accountability after Biddeford received sobering results from a recent fiscal audit in June.

“Voters are smart, and the last thing I’ll ever do is insult their intelligence,” LaFountain said.  “Yes, Biddeford is a great city, yes, fantastic things have been happening here in the last decade, and yes, that will continue. But we can no longer gloss over the very real staffing, financial, and accountability challenges.

“Pointing out only the good news doesn’t solve problems,” he added. “The voters know we have serious problems, and they want hard facts. True leadership is telling the truth about a difficult issue and then finding the best solution.”

LaFountain said he is encouraged that he’s already drawing support from a wide range of Biddeford residents, people with different perspectives, experiences, and priorities, who also strongly agree that a fresh approach and much more transparency are needed.

“I’m getting tons of encouragement for the idea that Biddeford should work for the people, not around them,” he said.  “Voters are not inconvenient obstacles, in fact, quite the contrary. I look to Biddeford residents as a source of wisdom for city officials, and we need their full participation as we get back to basics with honest conversations, thoughtful planning, and decisions that serve the public good.”

LaFountain said his goals include increasing public engagement, strengthening oversight of city operations, and upholding the city’s fiduciary responsibility to manage taxpayer resources wisely, while advancing priorities like recreation investment, capital infrastructure, and responsible development that serves Biddeford’s long-term interests.

“I want every resident and taxpayer to know that, in my opinion. we need to right this ship and guesswork isn’t good enough. Data analysis will get us to evidence-based, forward-thinking policies that prioritize the public good over narrow interests. I hope to win the support of every Biddeford voter who agrees with that,” LaFountain said.

LaFountain graduated from Cheverus High School in 2015 and then attended Gonzaga University, a Jesuit school in Washington state, where he earned a degree in international relations.

He and his partner, Eisha, have been married five years and live on Elm Street.

Note: The Biddeford Gazette previously reported that both Marty Grohman and Norman Belanger are running for the mayor’s seat in the upcoming election. The Gazette plans to continue its comprehensive coverage of this year’s election, and we will have future stories about all the candidates,

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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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