Administrator talks show L-A is serious about collaboration

The Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation applauds Lewiston Mayor Laurent Gilbert, Auburn Mayor John Jenkins and the city councils for their courage and vision in forming a team to examine the challenges and opportunities created by the soon-to-be-vacant city manager position in Auburn.

The 10-member citizens commission is tasked by the city councils with developing plans to consolidate municipal operations and services of the Twin Cities. The goal: reduce cost to taxpayers, and increase the productivity and effectiveness of local government.

Whether it makes sense now, or later, to have a single city administrator for Lewiston and Auburn, never will there be a more opportune time to take a hard look at the issue. To paraphrase Mayor Jenkins at the joint city council meeting of March 26, if Lewiston and Auburn continue down this path toward greater collaboration, it’s not a question of if a single individual will manage both cities, but when.

In its February 2006 report, the Lewiston-Auburn Commission on Joint Services stated, “There are few activities undertaken by city governments in Lewiston and Auburn separately today that would not benefit from an integrated approach to service delivery.”

That commission found that over time, the Twin Cities would save about $2 million per year by combining public safety, public works, technology, codes, and back office functions. Should city manager be added to the list?

The new citizens commission, ably guided by Joint Services Coordinator Steve Eldridge, is acting on recommendations made by a 1996 panel, while remaining alert for emerging collaboration opportunities. An early priority is a plan to combine the two cities’ code enforcement offices.

This will result in a common building code, and an easier system for citizens and businesses to use. We hope, with support from the city councils, to accomplish this within the next few months. Combining more complex areas such as public safety and public works will likely take several years.

We agree with the previous commission that consolidation of services should be done without anyone losing their job. Any reduction in the work force will be accomplished through attrition.

As consolidation of city departments moves forward, we and the elected leadership of Lewiston and Auburn must be ready, on short notice, to explore opportunities that crop up, like the Auburn city manager position. If a single individual were appointed to oversee both cities, efforts to combine other services would take a giant step forward.

We know from polling done in June 2005 that the people of Lewiston and Auburn, by sizable majorities, support cooperation, especially when money is saved and services are improved. Other benefits of working together include enhanced economic development, greater political clout, and the ability to remain competitive in a global economy.

For more than 150 years, Lewiston-Auburn joint cooperation has benefited both communities. A partial list includes a fire protection district, a railroad, the airport, sewage treatment, bus service, transportation planning, Lake Auburn watershed protection, emergency dispatch, and the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council.

How different our communities would be without these joint initiatives.

Over the next 30 days, the team consisting of the mayors and designated city councilors will take an in-depth look at the city manager position, and come back with its recommendation. We commend them for taking on this important task when there are so many other issues competing for their time.

Whether the outcome of their deliberations further strengthens the ties binding our two communities remains to be seen. But the fact this conversation is taking place stands as a testament to the farsighted leadership on both sides of the Androscoggin.

Ron Bissonnette of Lewiston and Peter Garcia of Auburn are co-chairs of the Citizens Commission on Lewiston-Auburn Cooperation.