News of the transition leaked hours before the city of Biddeford made a public announcement
By RANDY SEAVER | Editor
Laurie Smith, Kennebunkport’s town manager, has been nominated to become Biddeford’s sixth professional city manager.
The city council is expected to confirm Smith’s pending three-year contract during its next meeting Nov. 5.
The city has not yet released details regarding Smith’s compensation package, including salary and benefits.
Smith, 62, said she will continue to live in her hometown of Kennebunk. Although the city’s charter requires the city manager to live within city limits, the city council has the option to waive that requirement.
Smith has worked as Kennebunkport’s town manager for nearly 13 years, and says she is looking forward to making the move to Biddeford.
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During a brief interview Tuesday morning, Smith acknowledged that she’s walking into a bit of a chaotic situation in City Hall where employee morale is near an all-time low, required financial audits are more than two years overdue and key leadership positions — including the City Clerk and Assistant City Manager — have been vacant for months.
“I am excited about the challenges ahead,” she said. “We have the opportunity to address these problems and other issues by putting in place structures and systems that will help correct the current situation and provide a workable plan for for moving forward.”
Mayor Liam LaFountain said Smith has extensive municipal experience, financial acumen and management skills.
“I look forward to working with Laurie, our staff, and the city council to address the challenges ahead and better serve our residents,” LaFountain wrote in a press release that was issued roughly two hours after a news story about the move was published by a Kennebunk-based media outlet.
The timing of Smith’s announcement caught some city officials off guard since they had agreed to a joint press release between the candidate and the city.
Smith previously worked as assistant city manager, interim finance director, and community relations manager in her 10-year career with the city of Auburn, Maine. She has also served as town manager in the Maine communities of Wiscasset, Boothbay Harbor, Oxford and Boothbay.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Maine.
“I’m honored to be joining Biddeford as city manager,” Smith said. “Throughout this process, I’ve been impressed by how deeply people care about this city and its future.”
Upon confirmation of her appointment, Smith will assume the duties of the position on December 29, 2026.
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Kennebunkport’s loss is Biddeford s gain. I worked with Laurie over the years and she is a true professional, a problem solver and she gets things done.