BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford City Council voted to share a finance director with the neighboring city of Saco on Tuesday, despite Saco’s vote on Monday to table the matter until its meeting on June 5.

The two cities have proposed sharing Saco’s finance director, Cheryl Fournier; both city councils must approve the collaboration before it can be given the green light.

Fournier, whose appointment was tabled at the Biddeford council’s meeting Tuesday, would serve as the chief financial director for the two cities.

Under the proposal, Saco would receive compensation from Biddeford for its share of the position, which would remain in effect until June 30, 2018. Biddeford would provide Fournier with work space at Biddeford City hall. Saco would hire a part-time accountant position.

City officials estimate the position would save Saco about $26,000 annually.

Saco City Councilors said on Monday they believed Fournier already had enough on her plate, and adding Biddeford’s financial load onto her workload would prove to be a burden.

A clause in the agreement allows both cities to opt out after 60 days if they feel the agreement was not working.

While some in Biddeford loved the idea, members of the public were not convinced.

Saco resident Don Pilon, who owns property in Biddeford, said he doesn’t think either council has given the proposal enough thought.

“When you put a (CFD) in charge of two municipalities, there’s not an organizational structure to maintain the financial structures of both our municipalities. This is taking the (CFD) from one municipality that has many, many responsibilities,” he said. “That’s a big, big responsibility and the way I see it is we’re both going to lose.”

Biddeford resident Richard Rhames agreed, criticizing the city’s attempts to streamline work and collaborate across the Saco River just to save money.

“The city has been pursuing this, and I can only describe it as a fetish, to increase people’s workloads and save a few bucks. The idea is there’s going to be greater efficiency,” he said, blasting the proposal. “But when you look at the amount of money saved up against the types of complications such as sharing I believe would inevitably engender, it’s asinine.”

Rhames said any potential savings the position would generate wouldn’t make much difference in the grand scheme of city spending.

“The savings, $26,000, that’s a lot for me … But it’s not a lot a lot of money in the overall context of a municipal budget,” he said. “The idea that for this small amount of money that we were going to trade a certain amount of our sovereignty and add complications to the flowchart; it just doesn’t pencil out.”

City Councilor Marc Lessard, responding to Rhames, said the savings over time would, however, make a financial impact on the city.

“The synergies and savings that can be had for this over time are going to create a better financial system for our city,” he said.

And although some city councilors said they had concerns about waiting a month — even enacting a May 16 “sunset” date for Saco to respond — most lauded the idea.

“I think it’s important we take the lead and do something here tonight,” said Mayor Alan Casavant. “People are demanding that we work with the city of Saco. Overall, I think that it’s really important that we try to do this.”

Councilor Michael Swanton expressed his discontent with the sharing agreement, saying it would be worth it to wait for Saco’s response before voting on the measure.

“It sounds like we’re putting the cart before the horse,” he said. “I’d just assume wait to see what Saco is going to say about it.”

But Councilor Stephen St. Cyr disagreed, saying he’s confident the cities would hire someone who could handle the job.

“Both cities undertake a significant issue in putting the budget together. … Presumably the individual has the management skills and ability to delegate or do what he or she needs to do,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com. Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf contributed to this report.