Imagine what Lewiston-Auburn could be as one community — one vision, one government structure and everyone pulling in the same direction. Shall we continue to be cities separated by history and water, or can we do better as one city nourished by a great river?

We love this place, but we struggle to attract and retain talented people — the single most essential ingredient to draw businesses and to propel start-ups. Far too many, whose jobs are here, choose to live close to Portland because of the perceived better school systems and quality of life. Consider how much income is earned here but spent elsewhere.

We cannot be another Portland, but we will not reach our potential if we continue as one economic area but two cities, often pulling in different directions.

It is undeniable that we are facing severe economic headwinds in the years ahead because of a stagnant and aging population. Further, with state aid under pressure, we have to make the very best use of our resources. If we do it right, there surely are efficiencies to be gained by having a single government organization with numerous joint boards merged into that structure.

One year ago, six Lewiston-Auburn citizens — Mike Beaulieu, Lucien Gosselin, Holly Lasagna, Chip Morrison, Chantel Pettengill and I — were elected to craft a charter (and make the case to the voters) for a merged Auburn-Lewiston. Since that time, we have been studying where we are and considering best ways to reinvent government and schools.

Regarding schools, there is simply nothing more important or valuable. People will avoid or be attracted to places based on their perceptions.

A unified city should be the propellant to re-imagine our schools. We would have deeper resources to enable new offerings. Perhaps one high school could emphasize science and technology, while the other tended toward arts and communications. Students could access classes on either side of the river as they wished. The goal would be to better prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow — jobs that come here because of the skills of those students.

Can you imagine a new Lewiston-Auburn where a downtown and riverfront are reborn? One that attracts people who want to live, work, eat and play within sights and sounds of the river?

Can you imagine businesses being attracted by a talented and diverse work force and a unified, efficient government that makes it easier to take root and flourish here?

Can you imagine the greater relevance and influence we would have in this state as one community of nearly 60,000?

Now imagine where we will be if we stay as we are and don’t reach for the stars?

There has been some recent discussion – and some controversy – about how we will fund our expected legal, accounting and operational expenses. The charter commission has pledged it will not ask for help from either city, requiring that most or all of what is needed to come from private donations. We did approach Gov. Paul LePage for help because we understood he believes in the efficiencies consolidations like this bring. He told us he would match money privately raised, up to $50,000, as long as both city councils expressed majority support for the process in which we are engaged. Any such money reduces the amount that will need to be raised locally. If asking a city council for support is political, our request is political, and very transparent.

Having gotten to this point, we will move into a new phase and become more visible. We will meet with any group that wants to have a conversation about their concerns and to voice suggestions on how we might maximize our many talents and resources. Just send me an email at: ggeigercc@gmail.com. In the meantime, our thoughts and work are available to all at: www.newlacharter.ning.com. If you join us, we will stay in touch.

We do not have a deadline to complete our work, but our goal is to lay out a proposed new charter, information on how we transition to a single city, and our arguments for community reinvention early next year. That would likely mean the issue would be on the ballot in November of 2016.

What we are working on is unusual, but it has been done before. Princeton, N.J., did it in 2013. The leader of that effort said this when the merger was complete: “You have been handed a golden opportunity, a fresh start, and a clean slate. Be bold, be progressive, be fair, be open-minded. Be what we all hoped for when we decided to become one town.”

Getting from where we are to what we imagine will not be easy, but it is a rare and golden opportunity to start fresh and to be all we dream we can be.

Gene Geiger is chairman of the Lewiston Auburn Joint Charter Commission.

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