AUBURN — The mayor of Auburn says it’s time for his city and Lewiston to explore sharing services again, a plan that was discussed several years ago but abandoned.

Mayor Jonathan LaBonte says the cities could save millions of dollars per year by sharing costs for core services including police, fire and public works.

He says the need is even greater now with tighter budgets and a potential $93 million cut in state revenue sharing to Maine cities and towns. In Lewiston-Auburn, those proposed cuts could mean between $4 million and $6 million less for the 2013-14 municipal budget. That could result in service reductions and higher property taxes.

The Sun Journal reports he says more cooperation between Auburn and Lewiston could be a model for other communities around the state.


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