Portland’s mayor and city councilors fire back after a Fox talk show host says the city has itself to blame for a surge in immigrants who need shelter.
Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Randy Billings is a government watchdog and political reporter who has been the State House bureau chief since 2021. He was named the Maine Press Association’s Journalist of the Year in 2020. He joined the Press Herald in 2012 as the Portland City Hall reporter, where his beat touched on a wide range of topics, including municipal government, immigration, homelessness, housing and social services. Prior to that, he worked at various weeklies as well as business and arts publications. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine, Orono. He lives in North Yarmouth with his wife and two children and enjoys the outdoors and playing his upright bass.
Posted inBusiness, News
Developer says he’ll build 2 Portland housing projects that had been offered for sale
Bernie Saulnier says he plans to break ground on developments in Bayside and on Munjoy Hill this spring.
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Posted inBusiness, News
Portland council decides hotel developers will help fund affordable housing
The city hopes to increase its affordable-housing stock by requiring developers to build low-income housing or pay a $3,806 fee per hotel unit.
Posted inNews
Portland council decides to slow down Franklin Street project
Councilors direct the city staff to look for less costly ways to improve the interchange with Interstate 295 than the $5.4 million plan proposed by the state Department of Transportation.
Posted inBusiness
Portland council weighs plan for new hotels to help cover cost of affordable housing
But the hospitality sector chafes at the idea of requiring it to build affordable housing units or pay $3,806 per guest room.
Posted inNews, Politics
Strimling gets fundraising jump for re-election bid he hasn’t yet announced
Portland’s mayor, who proposed reforms this week to ‘get the big money out of municipal politics,’ has already raised more than $40,000.
Posted inPolitics
Portland councilor becomes first to say he’ll run to challenge Strimling for mayor
Spencer Thibodeau, a real estate attorney who is starting his second term on the City Council, enters the race that will be decided in November.
Posted inBusiness, News
Report shows 8% drop in space for marine uses of Portland waterfront
Overall, however, the study concludes that 2010 zoning changes are working as expected to open more waterfront to development while leaving the majority of space available to marine-dependent uses.
Posted inNews, Politics
Portland’s city manager will reorganize top staff as he deals with vacancies
Jon Jennings plans to fill 1 vacant assistant city manager position while eliminating the other in favor of creating a position to oversee innovation.
Posted inBusiness, News
Portland scrambles to update what was supposed to be an annual waterfront inventory
The ordinance requiring the inventory was passed 8 years ago but only 2 reports have been filed since.