Address: 44 Goodrich Ave.

Personal: Married, one son

Occupation: Attorney

Education: B.A., Bates College; M.A., graduate faculty of the New School for Social Research, New York City; juris doctor, University of Maine School of Law

Political experience: None

Community groups: Auburn Planning Board, Auburn Business Development Corp., Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, Good Shepherd Food-Bank, Androscoggin County Bar Association

Pierson emphasizes industrial development

AUBURN – It’s time for the city’s economic developers to look somewhere other than downtown, according to at-large candidate Dave Pierson.

“The city has put in a lot of effort downtown, and I won’t quibble about what they’ve done there,” Pierson said. “Overall, what they’ve done is good. But at the same time, the city has failed to do anything significant for industrial development. They’ve laid the groundwork, but have not followed through in the last five or six years.”

Pierson said he will have a hand in that. As president of the Auburn Business Development Corp., he’s leading efforts to buy and develop 150 acres near Kittyhawk Industrial Park. The new park would be a successor to Kittyhawk and the future of Auburn’s industrial future.

“My goal would be to push the city in that direction,” Pierson said. “I think as a councilor I would have the authority to help make that happen. It’s a good position to push the city staff that way.”

He hopes to grease the wheels for economic development at the city level.

“I talk to people all the time, in terms of economic development issues,” he said. “They say they get a more positive response in Lewiston. I think we’ve really lost sight of that in Auburn. It hasn’t been a priority, as one of the long-term goals.”

One problem is the apparent lack of teamwork.

“There is a degree of antagonism out in the city, and that is not good management,” he said. “A well-run business – or community – isn’t spending its time engaged in fights, among the community members, the staff, the City Council.”

Budget cuts that would come from a 1 percent property tax cap would be spread pretty evenly, he said.

“If a family income is cut by two-thirds, you look at every place you can to save and still make ends meet,” he said. “Undoubtedly, there is fat in the city government, and all services will end up being cut.”

He thinks he’d be able to help the various groups find common ground. His experience as a lawyer involves helping people settle disagreements.

“You have to focus on the real commonality of interests,” he said. “In this case, it’s having a prosperous community with low taxes and good services. But if people just focus on the short-term battles, you won’t get to that long-term goal.”

Pierson said he’d also suggest a long-term focus to the city’s Charter Commission.

“In my mind, the only important question they face is, What does it take to build a stronger community that can compete on a worldwide market?'” Pierson said. “If they can focus on that, I think everything else falls into place.”