Two can live more cheaply than one; consolidation will save money — common sense tells us so. We all know that when we share expenses, such as rent, groceries and transportation the per capita cost is less.

Experience shows it: Saving money is the reason the Twin Cities share one water supply, one sewage treatment plant, one 911 service.

Dover-Foxcroft, two separate towns until they merged 95 years ago, now pays for only one town office, one manager, one police chief, one of everything. You don’t hear talk of dividing the two towns after nearly a century of experience together. Obviously consolidation has been good for those Maine residents.

Consolidation has been studied by four commissions of unpaid citizen volunteers, folks with no ax to grind and nothing but the public good in mind. Each commission studied carefully and concluded consolidation will save taxpayers money.

So why haven’t we decided to merge Lewiston and Auburn? Because a small group of politicians blocked city council action each time consolidation was recommended.

In November each of those politicians will get one vote. For the first time, so will each resident.

I plan to vote “yes” for a number of reasons. The first is because common sense, experience and the informed opinion of folks I respect all tell me the taxpayers of Lewiston and Auburn will save if we merge the Twin Cities.

Janet Barrett, Lewiston

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