By BEN NEVEUX | Biddeford Over the past decade, Biddeford’s property taxes have steadily climbed. In 2013 the city’s total tax rate was $16.54 per $1,000 of valuation. By 2022 it had reached $18.23, with several years above $19 and even $20 along the way. That may not sound dramatic […]
Tag: Maine
OPINION | Protecting manufactured‑home residents protects municipal budgets
By KATHY DOBBINS, Special to the Gazette Maine’s manufactured‑home communities are facing pressures that many towns and cities can no longer afford to ignore. When municipalities choose not to adopt basic resident‑protection measures—such as rent‑stabilization ordinances or guardrails on pass‑through utility charges—the consequences fall directly onto residents and, ultimately, onto […]
BHS Drama Club will present ‘Mean Girls’
By KAREN GARNETT | Biddeford School Department BIDDEFORD, Maine – The Biddeford High School (BHS) Drama Club is proud to announce its upcoming production of Mean Girls: High School Version, a bold, high-energy musical that brings humor, heart, and sharp social commentary to the stage. Show times are Thursday, March 19, […]
OPINION | Mayor explains new UNE committee
By MAYOR LIAM LAFOUNTAIN, City of Biddeford On Monday, March 2 at 6 p.m., the Institutional Zone Review Committee will hold its first public hearing at City Hall. The meeting begins the public input phase of a broader review of how Biddeford regulates institutional development. For many residents, the term […]
LETTER | Let’s focus on collaboration, not division
City is on the right track in its thoughtful, measured review of UNE development plans I read the recent letter regarding the University of New England review committee with concern, but also with a sense that the issue deserves a more balanced perspective. What was city thinking? Biddeford Gazette, Feb. […]
INTERVIEW | David Kurtz, city councilor, lawyer and hiker
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor David Kurtz takes in a deep breath – pauses – and looks away, toward the coffee shop’s window before answering one of our questions during an informal and candid interview. Kurtz, 39, is one of the three new Biddeford city councilors who were each first elected […]
OPINION | Biddeford should keep Center
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain ran his campaign last year on a platform dedicated to restoring accountability and increasing transparency at City Hall. Those were good messages, and the voters agreed with LaFountain, giving him the edge over the incumbent former mayor. LaFountain pledged to hit the […]
Bennett brings campaign to Biddeford
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor In the very crowded race to become Maine’s next governor, former State Sen. Rick Bennett is hoping to stand out as an Independent candidate who is ready to tackle tough issues with a common-sense approach and a commitment to people rather than any political party. Bennett, 62, […]
King being challenged by independent in sheriff’s race
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor Brian Pellerin — deputy chief of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office — recently announced that he is running for York County Sheriff in the November 2026 election. “I am running as a principled independent candidate, committed to professional, nonpartisan leadership in public safety,” Pellerin wrote in […]
Biddeford lawmaker’s bill addresses online gambling addiction
By RANDY SEAVER, Editor Over just the last few years, online gambling has exploded in popularity all over the country and its impacts are being felt here in Maine — on several different fronts. That gambling explosion – especially the rise in online sports/fantasy wagering – has also caused some […]
