By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Five citizens have started a recall drive, seeking to unseat Mayor Normand Guay and four city councilors.

The group filed an affidavit with the city clerk’s office Tuesday morning. Backers expect to hear from the clerk next Tuesday, once their affidavit has been reviewed by city attorneys.

Charles Mollica, who spearheaded the recall movement, said the group does not expect any problems. “We’ve followed every city rule to letter,” he said.

The group needs to collect about 600 signatures to force a recall vote.

Mollica watched Monday’s City Council meeting on Great Falls TV. More than 1,000 people attended to complain about a citywide revaluation that threatens to double or triple many property tax bills.

The meeting convinced Mollica that it was time to get rid of most of the elected officials.

“Those councilors had an opportunity last night to show voters that they take us seriously,” Mollica said. “They didn’t. They went ahead and did what they wanted to do anyway.”

Mollica, his wife, Norma, and three neighbors form the core of the recall committee. Their affidavit would oust from office Mayor Guay and Councilors Bethel Shields, Robert Hayes, Eric Samson and Kelly Matzen. All but Shields, who is on vacation, voted Monday night to support $5 million in borrowing to build a parking garage at Great Falls Plaza.

Then, there’s the matter of the revaluation itself. Mollica said it was poorly handled and should be scrapped.

“Those letters were not ready and shouldn’t have gone out in the first place,” he said.

The mayor and councilors all have less than a year left in their terms.

That doesn’t matter to Mollica.

“Regardless of when they’re done, we need to send a message right now,” he said. “We need to kick them out. We just don’t want them serving anymore.”

A spokesman for the Maine Municipal Association knew of only one recall of a public official in Maine. Waterville voters recalled Mayor Ruth Joseph in 1998, said Michael Starn.

“There was some impropriety alleged there,” Starn said. “It wasn’t over just a single issue, but concerns about her behavior.”

Selectmen in various towns may have been recalled throughout Maine’s history, Starn said. He was not sure how the process in Auburn would work, and City Clerk Mary Lou Magno could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The next general election, for all seven Auburn City Council seats and the mayor’s job, is scheduled for November 2006. Councilors elected on that ballot will serve one-year terms because of changes in the City Charter designed to align Auburn elections with Lewiston’s. Auburn councilors will again serve two-year terms beginning 2007.

Guay stands firm

Guay stood by his decision Monday to cast the deciding vote in favor of the parking garage bond. Councilors split 3-3 Monday night, with Councilors Belinda Gerry, Donna Lyons Rowell and Bob Mennealy voting to kill the bond. Guay’s vote tipped the City Council in favor of the bond.

“It was the right thing to do for the city,” Guay said. “People may not agree with me. It wasn’t easy, but you have to make decisions sometimes that are unpopular. History will prove that it was the right thing to do.”

This will be Guay’s last term as mayor. He said he does not plan to seek re-election.

Samson, the Ward 3 councilor, also stood by his support for the garage. He was elected in November 2004 and said it’s been a steep learning curve.

“All I can do is put my best foot forward and make the best decisions I can with the information I have,” he said. “That’s what I did.”

Tax association

Founders of a taxpayers’ association say they should be ready to form a managing committee this weekend. The group will meet Sunday to elect a committee and adopt bylaws, said Deana Chapman of New Auburn. They plan to schedule a citizens’ meeting next week to discuss their next steps.

“We’re hoping to get at least one person from every ward involved,” Chapman said.

The group is taking committee nominations via e-mail at info@reformauburn.org and on voice mail at 784-0177.

The association will begin monitoring city finances, sending people to monitor City Council and School Committee meetings and trying to push some financial reforms. Those could include calls for spending freezes, Chapman said.

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