By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

Appointed by the City Council on Monday to help review the 2006-07 budget

Robert Bernier

Jim Berube

Randy Bolduc

David Burke

Anna Camire

Larry Comeau

Brian Demers

Tammy Grieshaber

Jonathan Labonte

Bill Leighton

Kathy Leonard

Robert Lussier

Ronald Potvin

Paul Raymond

Auburn
Councilors getting budget help – whether they want it or not

AUBURN – Many eyes will be peering over councilors’ shoulders this year as they try and work out a spending plan.

Three different citizens groups plan to spend one night each week for the next few months going over city revenues and department spending with the City Council as it on its 2006-07 budget.

A room full of Auburn residents Monday night said they were ready, too. Person after person, they kept councilors attention for two hours as they complained about city property values and taxes, government spending and bemoaned the loss of jobs to China.

“Well, we can’t do anything about China,” Mayor Normand Guay said.

It’s just a start, they said.

“Just wait,” said Deana Chapman, founder and vice chairwoman of United Citizens of Auburn. “They’re gonna get a lot longer.”

Chapman’s group was a big part of Monday’s meeting. Ed Desgrosseilliers, chairman of the group, led the public comment period with criticism of the citywide property revaluation and Auburn’s assessing department. Citizens get different answers depending on which member of the assessing staff they talk to and when they meet them, he said.

“There’s a high degree of confusion that emanates from that office,” Desgrosseilliers said.

Walter Reed, vice chairman of the group, said the city needs to do a better job of getting information out to the public.

Ron Potvin, director of another taxpayer group, Small Property Owners of Auburn, released his group’s plan trim $10.7 million from Auburn’s budget. He called for cutting $3 million from Auburn schools by reducing staff size and closing schools, refinancing city debt to trim another $3 million and making deep cuts in many other department budgets.

Even a city appointed budget committee wasn’t free from controversy. Mayor Guay named 14 residents to help councilors review the budget. That group will review city revenue and spending plans with councilors and help identify possible savings, he said.

“They’ll bring a new perspective, hopefully helping us see things we might have missed,” Guay said.

But Councilor Belinda Gerry balked at letting Guay appoint the committee, saying he did not have authority to name a committee. Councilors adjourned briefly into an executive session to work out their differences and created the committee when they emerged.

Councilor Bob Mennealy suggested adding one more name, the UCA’s Desgrosseilliers, and the council agreed by a 4-3 margin. But Desgrosseilliers declined, saying he had prior commitments.

“You probably should have asked if I was interested before you voted,” Desgrosseilliers said.