Mayor Jeff Harmon hopes to build off of the accomplishments of his first term in the next two years and continue to address some of the city’s most prominent needs and issues, including homelessness, housing and economic development.

Harmon, who ran unopposed for a second term, touted past successes and talked about what more work needs to be done during the city’s inauguration ceremony Thursday night at the Donald Gay Performing Arts Center at Edward Little High School.

Two years ago when Harmon was running for his first mayoral term, he spoke to many residents who informed him about their areas of concern in the city, conversations that helped him shape what to focus on over the past two years, he said.

Many of those issues persist, he said, and the council will still have to contemplate solutions for them in the coming years.

“It’s not like there’s an election and the slate’s wiped clean and all the sudden there’s a completely new set of challenges or issues for Auburn,” he said.

Harmon views the role of mayor as a leadership position, bringing conversations to the council around problems, solutions and initiatives of public concern, he said. 

“Like with any other elected body, you can have a whole range of different views on issues,” he said. “I see the mayor’s job is to try to facilitate that discussion amongst the council, engaging the public in that process to try to find a path forward that can be supported by the majority of the council.

“… I often ask questions that I think will help clarify the issue but ultimately it’s really a leadership and facilitation role to try to engage the council in discussions of policy matters that will help move the city forward, help facilitate that discussion in the community.”

Despite work and accomplishments of the last two years, there is still a lot of work ahead for the council, including continuing to address housing. That can be done through zoning and regulation changes that make it more attractive to build in Auburn, he said.

Finishing the city’s comprehensive plan is also a top priority for his upcoming mayoral tenure, which will likely result in zoning changes, he said.

Homelessness is another area of focus for Harmon, he said. There was a lot of work done at the city level to give people who are housing insecure resources, such as the new Auburn Resource Center. A warming shelter is in the works through a partnership with Lewiston and MaineHousing.

Another important matter to Harmon is the city’s infrastructure. A new public safety building is still in the planning stages but it will bring all emergency services under one roof and move the police station out of City Hall. There are also financial challenges to overcome around improving roads, schools and other city areas.

“These things are important, not just for us, the quality of life of our residents, but from an economic development standpoint,” he said. “If you want to attract businesses, if you want to attract workers that’ll come and work for those businesses, you have to be able to provide infrastructure. That’s going to be one of the biggest challenges over the next couple years.”

He is hopeful that more work will be accomplished with the next slate of councilors, among them three new councilors who were elected in November.

Councilor Tim Cowan, a member of the ad-hoc committee looking at homelessness, said there is public support for effective and cost-efficient ways to address homelessness.

Councilor Adam Platz, who was unopposed for reelection Nov. 4 for an at-large position, said the wishes of Auburn residents will be top of mind.

“Like the mayor, I’m eager to build on the work already underway,” he said. “The council’s progress has always been guided by community input rather than individual initiatives. Residents have spoken, and we’ve listened: keep taxes low, fix our roads, encourage residential and economic development, and ensure we care for those most at risk. We’ll continue to listen and make progress, and I look forward to the next two years of service on the council.”

At the end of Harmon’s speech Thursday night he acknowledged the challenges ahead, including impacts of recent federal funding cuts that could make programs and services more financially reliant on local property taxation. 

“There will be difficult choices to make but we must get the most value for our tax dollars and balance the need for municipal services with our residents’ ability to pay increased property taxes,” Harmon said.

“As we begin this new chapter, let us move forward with confidence and hope,” Harmon said in his prepared remarks. “Auburn’s strength lies not only in the progress we have made but in the spirit of its people who are resilient, generous and determined. Together, we will build a city that honors its past while embracing its future. A city where every voice is valued, every family has opportunity and every resident feels at home. With unity and purpose, Auburn will continue to shine as a community of promise, compassion, and possibility.”