AUBURN – The squabble over seats on the Androscoggin County Budget Committee may be over.

Though an attorney for the County Commission argued that the move would be illegal, the panel charged with examining the county’s $10 million budget grew Wednesday by two seats.

Bruce Nadeau and Dwayne Sanborn, both of Auburn, were nominated and accepted by a vote of 6-0, with three abstentions.

“The (budget) committee has to have 11 members,” argued Lewiston City Administrator James Bennett, prior to the vote.

Anything less is taxation without representation, said Bennett, who also serves on the committee.

The seats have been controversial since August, when Auburn missed a planned meeting meant to nominate people for the three-year appointments. The failure left only one other nominee, Mechanic Falls Town Councilor Daniel Blanchard, to represent one third of the county. Other towns in the budget district include Auburn, Poland and Minot.

The three members of the County Commission argued that they did all they could under Maine law, said Bryan Dench, the county’s attorney.

“The statute doesn’t include a do-over,” Dench said Wednesday.

However, Auburn’s attorney disagreed.

To accept that one third of the county be represented by a single person for three years is plain silly, attorney Pat Scully said. The other two districts each have three representatives.

“That can’t be what the statute means,” Scully said. “That can’t be a rational interpretation.”

Commissioners gave no hint over whether they wish to pursue the matter further.

Auburn officials, who filed papers in court to retain the right to sue the county, hope to drop the matter.

The commission would need to drop the matter, too.

“We hope that this is the end of the issue,” said Laurie Smith, Auburn’s acting city manager.