Belinda Gerry (incumbent)Address: 143 Mill St.

Occupation: Did not answer

Community Service: Elected to Auburn City Council 2000, former state legislator; New Auburn American Legion Post 153 Women’s Auxiliary

Education: High school General Educational Development certificate.

Personal: Did not answer

Why are you seeking another term as a city councilor?

“I believe the people, especially in Ward 5, need somebody who will be honest, straightforward and present the facts without prejudice. I think I’ve developed a reputation for my honesty and that’s what people admire or like about me the most. I’m honest and I work hard. I’m not perfect, but at least I’m willing to admit I’m not perfect. And I’m willing to do the job.

“I do my homework on council issues, and if something’s very important, I don’t let anyone intimidate me into backing down.

What can you do to provide relief for Auburn property taxpayers?
“If we need to bond for things, I would like to see them put on the table and have us validate that we can afford to do it now. In other words, we need to organize our priorities. I feel we haven’t done that here on the council thus far.

“I feel if we can limit the amount of money in bonds, there is more money in the general fund to work with other things.”

Please rate yourself. What could you have done to make things smoother for the city, the citizens or the City Council?
“One way for me to make things better would have been if we could have gotten along better, but I was not at the point where I was going to compromise my constituent values. I tried not to be confrontational unless there are issues that need to be brought up.

“But what has happened, during this council, the councilors are more ceremonial. They’ll sit there, and they have a preconceived notion of what’s going to happen and that’s how it goes. We don’t discuss anything.”

Raymond Berube


Address: 177 Ninth St.

Occupation: Retired

Community Service: Former Auburn city councilor, former Auburn School Committee member

Education: Did not answer

Personal: Did not answer


Why are you seeking a term as a city councilor?

I think the taxes have gone up way too fast. Its not the taxpayers place to pay for the mistakes of city management. If they did not have the knowledge or capacity to go out and evaluate homes on a yearly basis or at the times they were supposed to, there is no reason the taxpayers should be penalized and have to pay these kinds of taxes all in a lump sum.


What can you do to provide relief for Auburn property taxpayers?
Id try to hold down taxes for the city. You cant do a great deal. You have to get industry in, and you can only get industry in if you get lower taxes at the state level. You can get more school funding and the only way to lower school cost is to get the money from the state. So, youre not going to do that at this level. As far as the council is concerned, there is nothing we can do about the the money thats spent in the schools. We can cut the school budget by a million dollars and tell them to take it form there, but we cant cut the individual places we might like to cut.


Please rate the incumbent (Belinda Gerry). What could Ms. Gerry have done to make things smoother for the city, the citizens or the City Council?

I dont believe in slinging mud at anybody else. Whatever Belinda has done, Belinda has to deal with. Thats not my problem. (I would) try to hold taxes down by capping salaries everybodys salaries. The city manager to start with, the school superintendent and school principals.