Gard Deletetsky

Physical Address: 105 Conant Ave., Auburn

Occupation: Sales and Marketing

Party Affiliation: Republican

Age: 33

Why are you running for the Androscoggin County Commission? I am hopeful that the upcoming election will allow me the opportunity to serve the citizens of our community and help to provide positive results through my role.

I have wanted to get involved in the community in a more direct manner for quite some time, and the upcoming election is the perfect opportunity for me to do so. My son is the fifth generation in our family to grow up within our community; my family has lived in the same home in New Auburn for nearly 100 years. Growing up in that environment rooted me deeply in Auburn and has given me a lot of respect for the hard-working members of this area. I understand what it is like to work hard for what you have and I want the opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much over the years. I’m committed to providing the best possible social and economic environment, allowing future generations of our community to thrive.

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What skills would you bring to the role of commissioner? I am a young professional with the vision and determination to see things through to the end. I have a strong sense of urgency and am not afraid to stand for what is right. If there are tough decisions that need to be made, I am willing to dig in and find the best solution for everyone. I can help increase efficiency and aid in the proper allocation of funds/services. If you look around at our community, there are great things happening on a daily basis. I believe that we are gaining momentum and there are many opportunities that we can capitalize on. I want to be a part of what continues to make the Lewiston-Auburn area the best it can be!

Androscoggin County is changing its structure by expanding the commission, and it will soon have a professional administrator. What changes would you like to see the county make? There is a need for expansion in order to meet the needs of any given district. It is the job of the Commission to ensure that we are being fair and consistent across the board and to have the best interest of our community at hand while performing our duties. I will make sure that we are focusing our efforts on a fair distribution of services while keeping these services as efficient and as streamlined as possible. With a strong commitment to progress and educated decision-making for our community and its citizens, we can be successful.

E-mail address: garddeletetsky@yahoo.com

Name: Alfreda M. Fournier

Physical Address: 43 Davis Ave. Auburn

Occupation: retired, former director for Child Development Services Androscoggin County, elementary principal, special education director, special education teacher

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Political Affiliation: Democrat

Age: 67

Phone number 207-782-4348

Community Organizations: President, Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (Mu Chapter); Chamber of Commerce; Edward Little High School Steering Committee; Auburn Schools Strategic Design Group; School/Land Lab Volunteer; Adult/Child Advocacy

Why are you running for the Androscoggin County Commission? It is important to give back to my community, and I care deeply about what happens in my own county. I have always worked within the public domain. My experiences in education have given me a bird’s-eye view of the strengths, constraints and needs of this county’s constituents. My mission would be to stay closely connected with my constituents and ensure they are adequately represented and have a stronger voice in county government.

What skills would you bring to the role of commissioner? I am fiscally conservative and responsible. As (Child Development Services) director for Androscoggin County, I supervised special ed programs for children and families within the entire county and balanced a large budget with repeated commendable audits. My management style is one of cooperation mingled with toughness on issues of importance. I weigh all sides of an issue and give meaningful, deliberate, thoughtful ideas and solutions. I have been described as the voice of reason and a visionary.

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Androscoggin County is changing its structure by expanding the commission, and it will soon have a professional administrator. What changes would you like to see the county make? The new Charter’s expansion plan assigns full-time status to its administrator to do a full-time job in serving his/her county. Increasing commissioners from three to seven allows these part-time individuals to better serve the needs of their districts, which collectively hold a population of 107,702 citizens.

Looking at it from my District 5 perspective, it will facilitate better communication and connectedness with the more urban parts of Auburn, such as the downtown and riverside areas. I see streamlining and consolidation of functions as key movements in this plan. We need to equitably distribute services (especially to outlying areas) and costs among all municipalities within the county, using a per capita measuring stick.

The determination of appropriate, fair salaries and benefits require consistency and equity as we determine what is considered full-time or part-time county positions. Finally, I would like to see our county functioning well and fluidly, with clearly defined procedures and regulations, with accountability to the taxpayer as a guiding force.

E-mail address: afournier4@roadrunner.com

Ten people are vying for five open seats on the newly expanded Androscoggin County Commission. On Monday, the Sun Journal began running a five-part daily series of interviews spotlighting the races in five of the county’s seven districts. Today, we look at the race in Androscoggin County District 5, which is comprised of downtown Auburn.


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