AUBURN – If there’s been a theme to the mayor’s ward meetings these past few months, it has been the condition of city roads.

“We get it,” Mayor John Jenkins told a crowd of about 50 on Monday night at the Washburn Elementary School in Ward 1. “You don’t have to hear it 20 times a day to realize that fixing the roads and sidewalks, that’s a big priority.”

But fixing the problem isn’t as simple. Road work is expensive, and money is dwindling. Jenkins said he and city councilors hope to do it without increasing property taxes.

“There’s got to be a balance,” he said.

Monday’s was the last in a series of five ward meetings designed by Jenkins and city councilors to meet with their constituents and hear their comments. Like the previous four meetings, Monday’s was well attended and lively. Topics covered ranged from speed and traffic enforcement to emergency medical response and property taxes. But the big issue was road maintenance and potholes.

Joel Salberg of 490 Skillings Corner Road complained he spends between $400 and $700 each year repairing the front end of his car due to potholes on his road and the connecting Lake Auburn Drive.

Public Works Director Bob Belz said rough roads may be part of Auburn’s fate for a long time. The city chose not to maintain its roads for several years in the 1980s.

“So that put us behind,” Belz said. Road work is expensive, so the city’s policy has been to maintain the roads that are in good shape and look for state money to repair the roads that are in bad shape.

“Right now, we’d need $24 million to fix every road in the city that’s bad,” he said. That kind of money just isn’t available.

Ron Potvin of 82 Northern Ave. suggested putting a huge bond issue to pay for fixing the roads before voters this fall. But Mayor Jenkins said he didn’t like that idea.

“We’re trying to take our hands out of the people’s pockets now, not put them in deeper,” Jenkins said. He promised to work with the state to find money for fixing Auburn’s roads.

But the city was praised and applauded by the group for bringing back spring cleanup. Curbside collections are scheduled to begin April 23.

“This year it’s going to pretty normal, but next year will be very different,” he said. The city will try to find a way to sell the roadside refuse, hopefully paying for the service.