AUBURN – Jonathan LaBonte hopes to open up Androscoggin County’s government from the inside.

The 27-year-old Auburn native plans to run as an independent for a seat on the three-member Androscoggin County Commission now held by Constance Cote.

For eight years, Cote has represented Auburn, Poland, Mechanic Falls and Minot. Her term ends in December. The 80-year-old Democrat did not file election papers with the Maine Secretary of State’s office by last week’s deadline, preventing her name from appearing on the primary ballot in June. Calls to her home were unanswered.

LaBonte, a regular audience member at City Council meetings, said he decided to run for the commission post after learning about last year’s county controversies, including a widespread call for Chairman Elmer Berry’s resignation and a lawsuit between the commission and Sheriff Guy Desjardins, which ended in the commission’s favor.

“There really isn’t an openness with county government,” LaBonte said. If elected, he hopes to have more public announcements of meetings, more reports back to towns and city councils and try to get all meetings broadcast on local access TV.

Over the coming months, he plans to attend meetings and examine the annual budget. He also plans to search for ways for the county to collaborate with towns to save money.

LaBonte earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maine in 2002. He worked in the Boston area as a consulting engineer before returning to Maine for graduate research in public policy and administration. During that research, LaBonte served briefly as a consultant to the Lewiston/Auburn Mayors’ Commission on Joint Services.

In April, he is slated to serve as the executive director of the Androscoggin Land Trust.