According to multiple sources, Biddeford City Clerk Robin Patterson will be resigning her position, effective April 10 this year.
City Manager Truc Dever sent an email message to all city staff and elected officials, notifying them of Patterson’s decision.
City Clerk Robin Patterson (City photo)
There was no information available at press time about why Patterson decided to resign.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Patterson was hired as Biddeford’s City Clerk, in May 2023. She was nominated for the position by former mayor Alan Casavant at the recommendation of former city manager James Bennett — who was abruptly removed from his position last year, Feb. 10.
Prior to working in Biddeford, Patterson was the town clerk and registrar of voters for the town of Benton, Maine, a small central Maine community where she also served as deputy clerk for one year.
CORRECTION | An earlier version of this story misidentified the name of City Clerk Robin Patterson. It was a typographical error, and we apologize for the mistake.
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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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Brian Phinney — Biddeford’s former chief operating 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.
Former Acting City Manager Brian Phinney (center) listens as former Mayor Marty Grohman reads an item during a 2025 council meeting. City Clerk Robin Patterson is seated at Phinney’s right side. (Seaver photo)
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.
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, we indicated that Phinney served as the city’s chief financial officer. That is incorrect. Phinney — in addition to briefly serving as acting city manager — was Biddeford’s chief operating officer. We apologize for the error.
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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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We’re coming into the final stretch, and we’re now less than one week away from Biddeford’s municipal elections on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
This is a busy time of year for journalists and for city clerks around the state. The work-load drops considerably on Wednesday, Nov. 5. That day – the day after the elections are over – is actually a holiday. And according to Maine state law, city clerks in each community are required to take local reporters out to lunch and pick up the tab.
A small collection of campaign signs near the intersection of Rte. 9 and Fortunes Rocks Road
On a more serious note, this is the time when people start asking my predictions about the outcome. In Biddeford, I have developed a reputation as the go-to-guy when it comes to local politics.
I know nothing about elections in Saco, Old Orchard Beach or Kennebunk. My “expertise” is rather limited, but I can chat Biddeford politics all day long.
This is the first election for the Biddeford Gazette, a media project I launched in January.
I have tried to be thorough, fair and accurate in all my coverage. I have written candidate profiles on each of the 28 candidates running for office (mayor, city council and school committee)
We have also done in-depth reporting about the local bond issues and thanks to our media partners at The Maine Monitor you can find a balanced analysis of the two state referendum questions.
I also took the initiative to organize the one and only debate featuring the three mayoral candidates, reaching out to my colleagues at Saco Bay News and the Press Herald to join me as panelists. We solicited our questions from the community and we had a great moderator, Craig Pendleton.
This will be my 15th Biddeford election. I started in 1997, and I have been fascinated by this city’s politics since.
Biddeford takes its elections seriously, and it can be a rough and tumble affair. You need to wear your big-boy pants if you’re going to tread in these waters.
I actually met my wife because she was running for office, and I made a mistake in my coverage of the Old Orchard Beach School Board race. (True story. Oct. 2001)
Laura started winning races after she married me and took my last name. (Also, a true story)
You can’t make predictions on just gut instinct or who has the most campaign signs posted at the Five Points intersection. You have to look at the data. Past performance is always a good indicator of future results.
You also have to consider other factors, including weather and various state referendum questions that will also be on the ballot.
According to extended weather forecasts, next Tuesday will be partly cloudy with a high of 53 degrees. The state referendum questions are rather benign and will not be big factors, unlike 2010 when Maine voters were asked to approve the Oxford Casino (Disclosure: I was a paid consultant on that referendum question)
You have to look at the data, past performance is a good indicator of future results
I decided this year to limit my data field to the last 10 years, beginning with the 2015 election.
Sadly, off-year municipal elections only draw about 30 percent of Biddeford’s registered voters to the polls. People in Biddeford love to complain about politics, but most of them can’t be bothered to vote.
So, let’s take a quick glance at past elections.
In 2015, there were 34 candidates on the ballot (mayor, council, school committee) and four local referendum questions. Alan Casavant was seeking a third, consecutive term and challenged by Daniel Parenteau. Turnout was 30.03 percent of registered voters, Casavant kicked ass, 2,494 – 1,437
In 2017, voter turnout was 30.93 percent with 22 candidates. Casavant faced only two write-in opponents and breezed to victory for a fourth term with 3,497 votes.
Laura (Seaver) was also reelected as an At-Large councilor, slightly trailing Marc Lessard, 2,989 – 2,902. More importantly School Committee candidate Lisa Vadnais garnered 3,041 votes (Pay attention here. There will be a test later).
In 2019, Things got interesting, Casavant was almost defeated for a fifth term by Jason Litalien who came in a close second (2,234 – 2,127). Turnout was 29.91 percent. Both Lessard (3,051) and Vadnais (2,971) topped the ballot.
In 2021, Casavant easily rolled over challenger Victoria Foley, 3,237 – 1,849. Voter turnout was 33.05 percent. Again, Lessard (3,403) and Vadnais (3,297) topped the ballot. Why the slight bump in turnout? Not sure. There was a statewide referendum about CMP’s transmission corridor project.
Finally, in 2023, Casavant decided not to seek a seventh term. City Councilor Marty Grohman defeated former State Senator Susan Deschambault, 2,894 – 2,223. Not a landslide, but certainly comfortable. Again, Vadnais (3,374) and Lessard (3,021) topped the ballots with the most votes per candidate.
My predictions for 2025
Yours truly showing off our work for Casavant in 2013.
This is a three-way race. Marty has the advantage of the incumbency, but he also has the disadvantage of being the incumbent. When voters are not happy, the incumbent hears about it.
In fairness, Marty can’t be held responsible for some things beyond his control, but his leadership has been called into question by two city councilors who work with him closely. His endorsements of council candidates this year, have actually been rejected by some of those candidates.
It’s a three-way race, and that’s Marty’s best hope going forward. Will Councilors Liam LaFountain and Norm Belanger split the “anti-Marty” vote. Sure, but by how much?
It all depends on how many supporters Belanger and LaFountain can get to the polls.
Bottom line? This race is too close to call, but I will make a prediction . . . on Tuesday night, one hour before the polls close. Most of my predictions will be posted on this site at the same time.
Sure, we all know Councilor Roger Beaupre is unopposed in Ward Three and newcomer David Kurtz is unopposed in Ward Five, but what about the other council races? Again, most of them are too close to call . . . except one.
Three candidates are vying for the two At-Large seats on the council: Marc Lessard, Nasreen A. Shekh-Yousef and Lisa Vadnais.
Past performance matters. Lessard and Vadnais will be the winners, and it will be somewhat interesting to see which one gets the most votes.
First, she did not do any diligent reconnaissance work. Although she is a board member at the Heart of Biddeford, she has not served on any municipal boards or committees. She has lived in Biddeford less than four years. Her name recognition before taking out nomination papers was virtually nil, and it hasn’t improved much since.
Secondly, in my opinion, she bit off more than she could chew by seeking an at-large seat right out of the gate. Yes, it can be done. Doris Ortiz proved that, but not if you’re going up against two of the city’s heaviest hitters.
Had Sheikh-Yousef run for Ward Five City Council, I firmly believe she would have had a fair shot at winning, depending on the other candidates.
Although she did not hire me, I will offer her a bit of free advice:
Keep doing what you’re doing. After election day, continue to find other ways to be an engaged citizen. Biddeford could benefit from your perspective. Stay involved and be a part of the city’s continuing conversation.
And to all the candidates, thank you so much for stepping up to serve your community. You are working really hard to get a job that pays less than $100 a month and will take up several hours of your time.
You are willing to share your address and take criticism for almost every thing you do. You will be required to sit through mind-numbing presentations and smile for photo-ops.
I don’t know why you do it, but thank you.
I will be providing all-day coverage on Election Day with regular social media updates.
On Wednesday, I am going to sleep-in and enjoy the lunch that Robin Patterson is buying for me.
P.S.Campaign signs by the side of the road mean nothing. Campaign signs on peoples’ lawns mean everything.
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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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com
c.) 2025 All Rights Reserved
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