SACO — A proposal that would have had Biddeford and Saco sharing a finance director failed to get the necessary approval from the city of Saco.

The two cities had proposed an arrangement to share Saco’s Finance Director, Cheryl Fournier.

Under the suggested agreement, Saco would have received compensation from Biddeford for its share of the finance director position, and Saco would hire a part-time accountant position. City officials estimate Saco would saved about $26,000 annually under the proposal.

Fournier said at a City Council meeting last week that she thought she could handle overseeing finances in both cities, as she had met with officials in Biddeford and reviewed the potential duties in the joint position.

In order for the arrangement to allow the joint position to move forward, the proposal needed to be approved by both city councils.

The proposal was approved last week by the Biddeford City Council, but failed 4 to 3 at the Saco City Council vote Monday night, with Councilors Roger Gay, William Doyle, Eric Cote and Nathan Johnston in opposition.

“I think it’s a big mistake,” said Cote. He said he didn’t think it would save money, and though Fournier was one of the city’s most skilled workers, he didn’t think the arrangement would work out, as it was too big of a job for one person.

Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant, in his weekly newsletter, said the proposal would have benefited the public by more than just saving money. Had the suggested arrangement gone through, taxes and license fees could be paid in both cities, as the two offices would have been connected electronically, and office hours could be staggered between the two cities so that total office hours during the day could be expanded.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.