By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – The city’s two central wards will see the biggest battles for council seats in this November’s election.

Councilor Lillian O’Brien will defend her seat against former Councilor Marc Mason in Lewiston’s Ward 3. Mason served on the council from 2001 to 2003 in Ward 5.

His home at 60 Lafayette St. moved to Ward 3 last year when the council redrew the ward boundaries.

Councilor Robert Connors, who defeated Mason to win the Ward 5 seat in 2003, said Friday he won’t seek a second term.

“I’ve done what I wanted and experienced being a councilor,” Connors said. “That’s all I needed to do.”

Two men are vying for Connor’s job. Former Councilor Paul Samson, who represented Ward 5 from 1996-to 2002, will face Larry J. Poulin of 25 Shawmut St.

All of the other City Council seats have incumbent councilors who won’t be challenged.

They include Ward 1’s Stavros Mendros, Ward 2’s Renee Bernier, Ward 4’s Ron Jean, Ward 6’s Mark Paradis and Ward 7’s Normand Rousseau.

Mayor Lionel Guay will defend his seat against perennial candidate Charles Soule of 170 Bartlett St. This will be the fifth time Soule has sought the mayor’s chair.

Development

For Mason, the efforts to bring in economic development are the biggest problems. He doesn’t’ favor offering big tax incentives to bring business town and thinks the city shouldn’t have been involved at the Colisee.

“When you give away these TIFs and tax deals, you’re not helping the City of Lewiston,” Mason said. “In my view, if big companies want to come here, they’ll come.”

O’Brien said she’s pleased with the council’s efforts for the last two years.

“We’ve moved the city far ahead and I want to see it keep going,” she said. The city has used tax incentives and bonds for economic developments wisely, in her opinion.

“I’ve been very careful,” she said. “One thing I know is that you can only spend money once. You have to be careful with it.”

Samson said he’s ready to get back into city politics.

He gave up his seat in 2002 citing health problems. Samson said he is healthy and ready to campaign.

“One of the things I’ve missed most is the people,” Samson said. “I missed going door-to-door and talking to people, seeing what they have to say and getting things done for them. That’s what I want to do.”

Poulin, his opponent, said he’s most concerned with property taxes and rents.

“Both are going up and up, and that’s what has people most worried,” he said. “I want to see what I can do about that.”

School

No one stepped forward Friday to fill the vacant Ward 6 spot for the Lewiston School Committee. Committee member Ronella Paradis said she didn’t’ want to seek another term.

City Clerk Kathy Montejo said school officials will begin looking for a write-in candidate for that job.

None of the other School Committee seats are contested. Incumbents include at-large member Leah Poulin, Ward 1 member John Butler, Ward 2 member Laurier Lachance, Ward 3 member Dennis Grafflin, Ward 4 member James Handy and Ward 5 member Norman B. Prevost. Former School Committee member Thomas Shannon, of 53 Androscoggin Ave. will seek the Ward 7 seat.

He would replace sitting member Richard Bernier.

The election is scheduled for Nov. 8.