Voters can select two candidates for the open at-large seats. The two highest vote-getters will win.
Bob Mennealy (incumbent)

Address: 43 Royal Oaks

Occupation: Retired

Community service: Elected to City Council in 2002; Auburn Sewer District; Maine Handicapped Skiing, Maine Peoples Alliance.

Education: Master’s degree in public administration from University of Maine

Personal: Married, two adult children

Why are you seeking another term as a city councilor?

“I would like to serve this community for at least one more year. We have some goals that are still unaccomplished, like sustainable economic development that pays total benefits and good jobs, not just retail little boxes or big boxes or debt that includes corporate welfare.”

What can you do to provide relief for Auburn property taxpayers?

“I would hope that we could work with the service center coalition to somehow generate another revenue stream that lets us get back some percentage of the sales taxes spent in our city by the people from out of town that use our infrastructure. It doesn’t seem fair that we have to provide all of that at our expense with none from them.

“As you know, just right around here in the mall, we are spending $5 million for traffic improvements, which I feel should have been borne by the developer. But somehow it is being pushed on the backs of the citizens. The people that travel to the community from outside of Auburn should share in the cost of providing that infrastructure and services like police, emergency services and et cetera.”

Please rate yourself. What could you have done to make things smoother for the city, the citizens or the City Council?

“My biggest disappointment is that I was not influential enough to get at least one more vote on the parking garage and the Auburn Mall TIF question. Those votes again are going to cost the general citizenry, when basically they provide benefits to a couple of entrepreneurs who certainly are not going to share their profits with us.”