According to documents filed in York County Superior Court, the city of Biddeford is asking the Court to dismiss a complaint filed earlier this year by former city manager James Bennett. In his lawsuit against the city, Bennett claims that he is entitled to more than $200,000 in wages and […]
Tag: James Bennett
City manager files lawsuit against Biddeford
Despite receiving a blistering and somewhat embarrassing report last week about the city’s financial controls and procedures, Biddeford officials are remaining tight-lipped about the abrupt departure of former city manager James Bennett. In fact, Bennett has filed a civil complaint against the city in York County Superior Court. During a […]
NEWSLETTER: A big week for the Biddeford Gazette
A lot can happen in just a few days, and that’s especially true when you’re in the news business. Over just the past few days, we added a new staff member to the Gazette team, got a huge compliment from one of Maine’s most respected journalists and stumbled across a […]
Biddeford hires new city manager
Following a nationwide search, the Biddeford City Council is expected next week to confirm the hiring of Truc Dever as the city’s next professional manager. Dever currently serves as the public works director for the city of Kirkland, Wash., a city with a population of roughly 93,000 people located about […]
Biddeford ‘close’ to announcing new city manager
Word on the street is that the city of Biddeford is “pretty close” to hiring a new city manager. City officials say they will likely be ready to make a formal announcement within the next few days. The council is scheduled to conduct a closed-door executive session at its Tuesday […]
Biddeford is facing ‘significant’ financial difficulties
During the March 4 Biddeford City Council meeting, acting city manager Brian Phinney provided the council with some concerning and significant updates regarding the finance department. According to Phinney’s regular report to the council, the city could be facing: According to Phinney, the city is also nearly three years behind […]
City denies FOIA/FOAA requests
The city of Biddeford has denied the Biddeford Gazette’s request to release an internal email regarding the abrupt departure of former City Manager James Bennett on Feb. 20. The Gazette first learned that Bennett was leaving his post early by obtaining a February .20 email that was distributed to all […]
Biddeford City Hall Secrecy: FOIA request sent
Earlier today, the Biddeford Gazette learned that an email regarding the abrupt departure of former City Manager James Bennett was sent from one member of the Biddeford City Council to Mayor Marty Grohman and every other member of the council. According to our sources, the email was sent at 7:05 […]
Biddeford Deserves Better | OPINION
I honestly don’t get it. Six days ago, I broke and published a news story that Biddeford City Manager James Bennett was abruptly removed from his post. Bennett, well-known in several communities throughout Maine, capped off his nine-year stint in Biddeford under a cloud of mystery. Six days ago. I […]
NEWSLETER: Feb. 23, 2025
Just when you think things are going to slow down and become more manageable, some big stories come from out of nowhere and demand your immediate attention. Such was the case last week, with two stories that were both exclusive to the Biddeford Gazette. First, the plaintiffs in a lawsuit […]






