The Twin Cities could save $1.86 million over the next five years by combining government services, including sharing a city manager, according to final reports of Joint Services Coordinator Stephen Eldridge.

“Now the leaders in the community, the city councilors and committee members need to make the policy decisions that can make these happen,” Eldridge said Monday.

He released an executive summary of his findings to the Citizens Commission on Joint Lewiston-Auburn Services last week and plans to release a more complete report Friday.

Both reports identify specific ways the cities can save money by sharing services. Most involve staff size. Salaries and benefits make up 34 to 92 percent of each department’s budget in each city.

Eldridge estimated $1.2 million could be saved by sharing department heads and deputy department heads. He reported the cities could save another $90,000 by sharing a city manager or city administrator and estimated $700,000 savings from staffing reductions.

“We’ve been talking gradual reductions through attrition and retirements,” Eldridge said. “That hasn’t changed now.”

He also estimated the Twin Cities’ public works departments could save $70,000 by sharing vehicles and another $175,00 0 by consolidating garages and other efficiencies.

The report identifies one-time costs, as well. The cities could pay $150,000 to make sure departments in both cities are using identical computer software and another $600,000 to make sure union contracts match. Both are estimates, and the commission has agreed to hire a computer consultant to firm up those costs.

“As far as the contracts go, we know there will be a cost, but we don’t know exactly what it will be,” he said. “It could be up to the unions and what they decide to support.”

Eldridge has been working on the report since March, meeting with Lewiston and Auburn employees and department heads to write strategies for combining government operations. He is set to leave the position after Friday to take over as town manager of neighboring Lisbon.

He is recommending the cities and the members of the commission hire a consultant to replace him.

“Now that we have the numbers in place, the next step is to start making the policy decisions,” he said. “That’s going to take someone who can really build consensus among the councilors and move things along.”

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