Biddeford Mayor to nominate new Ward 5 Councilor tonight

The wait is over. Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman is expected today to formally announce his nomination to fill one of the two vacant seats on the city council.

According to multiple sources, Grohman has selected Neva Gross to take over the Ward 5 council seat that was vacated by the resignation of former Councilor Julian Schlaver last month.

Schlaver, who ran unopposed for the seat in the Nov. 2023 municipal election, announced in April that he would be stepping down for “personal reasons.’

On Tuesday, May 7, the council voted unanimously to officially accept Schlaver’s resignation.

Ward 5 includes the city’s downtown area, including the sprawling complex of renovated mill buildings and densely packed neighborhoods near the city’s core.

Gross, 49, said she would be excited to serve on the council if appointed. She has lived in Biddeford for roughly 18 months and resides at the Lincoln Lofts. She graduated last year from the University of New England’s School of Pharmacy and holds a doctorate’s degree in pharmacology.

Grohman said he was pleased that several people expressed interest in serving on the council.

Others who expressed interest in the Ward 5 post include Syed Zafar, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, Assessment Review Board and the city’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee; and Dominic Deschambault, a former School Committee member who now serves on the board of directors for the Biddeford Housing Authority.

According to the city’s charter, the city council must vote to confirm the mayor’s nominee. The council is expected to vote on that nomination this evening during a special council meeting.

The appointment of a new Ward 5 city council will still leave one vacancy on the council, however.

On April 9, former Ward 4 councilor Bobby Mills resigned his seat roughly 48 hours after he was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

The timing of Mills resignation triggered the need for a special election.

According to the city’s charter, if a member of the council resigns within 180 days of the last election, a special election must be held to fill that vacancy. That election will take place on June 11, the date when voters will also decide whether to approve the school budget.

Schlaver’s resignation, however, was not formally accepted until this week, giving the mayor the power to appoint a replacement councilor.

Although Mills told Saco Bay News in April that he was interested in running to capture the seat that he resigned, only one resident actually turned in nomination papers with the required number of signatures to be on the ballot.

Dylan Doughty, who was appointed earlier this year as an alternate member of the Biddeford Planning Board, said he is “looking forward” to serving on the city council.

Doughty, 32, is a native of Arkansas who relocated to Maine three years ago for his job. He said he “loves the city of Biddeford” and is “excited about the opportunity to represent his neighbors.”

He is employed as a senior buyer at General Dynamics in Saco. He has an MBA degree from Western Colorado University.

During a brief interview on Wednesday evening, Gross said she has “fallen in love” with the city.

“I came here during a blizzard to interview at the university, and I just felt instantly connected,” she said.

Over the past few months, Gross says she has been working to connect with her new hometown, including volunteer work with the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center.

“I don’t have any political bias,” she said. “I like to be transparent and fair-minded. I know I’m stepping into a process that is already moving forward, but I do have the energy to jump in and see how I can help.”

Grohman said that he and Council President Liam LaFountain have personally interviewed each person who expressed interest in the Ward Five seat over the last two weeks.

“It's gratifying to see the level of interest in community service,” Grohman said.

Randy Seaver is a cranky, nearly insufferable malcontent living in Biddeford. He is a retired newspaper editor and the principal of a small strategic communications consulting firm. Randy Seaver can be contacted at [email protected].