LEWISTON – The Twin Cities should share supervision of a joint services leader, councilors agreed Tuesday.

Any staff person hired to combine Lewiston and Auburn city services should answer equally to Lewiston’s city administrator and Auburn’s city manager.

“And in case of a stalemate, we would have Lucien Gosselin to break it,” said Jim Bennett, Lewiston city administrator.

The new hire should work out of an office in the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council offices, where Gosselin is president.

Lewiston councilors agreed and will discuss it with their Auburn counterparts at their next joint meeting in November.

Mayors Normand Guay of Auburn and Lionel Guay of Lewiston appointed the original joint services study group in 2004, tasking it to find ways to save money by combining services between the two cities. The group released a report in February calling for consolidation of bread-and-butter services – police and public works – over the next five years. Back office services, such as building codes and computer systems, would be the first things to be consolidated.

The group helped secure a $152,900 state grant earlier this month. That money will help pay for the joint services staff.

But Lewiston councilors Tuesday were more concerned with the makeup of a committee to work with the joint services staff. Councilor Ron Jean suggested using the existing group.

Councilor Mark Paradis disagreed. He wants new blood on the group.

“They did their work. In my opinion, they worked themselves out of a job,” Paradis said. “Now it’s time for some people with a fresh outlook.”