By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

AUBURN – The Twin Cities’ boundaries are already invisible as far as economics go, Robert Clifford told a crowd of county business leaders Thursday.

The people who helped draft a report on combining services in Lewiston and Auburn have their feet on either side of the river, he said. Most live in one city and work in the other.

“So it’s obvious, we’ve already become one economic community,” said Clifford, co-chair of the Mayors’ Commission on Joint Services. It’s time make the next move.

Clifford and co-chair Donna Steckino presented their well-rehearsed plan for combining municipal services in the Twin Cities to the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning.

The commission was appointed by both city councils to test the feasibility of combining some services.

They began working November 2004 and finished their work in February.

Not much has changed since they presented it to city councilors from both cities last month, said Clifford.

According to their report, the cities can save money by combining some services.

It recommends they start by making building and fire codes match in both cities.

It also urges them to have identical computer systems within a year.

The commission envisions combining many back-office functions – such as accounting, human resources and tax assessing – over three years.

Departments such as police, fire and public works could be combined over a longer term, five years or more, if both cities agree.

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