WATERVILLE — The three candidates for mayor disagreed Friday about the merits of the city’s new pay-as-you-throw trash collection system, tax breaks for companies versus residential projects and whether nonprofits should pay taxes or service fees.

Republican Nick Isgro, Democrat Steve Aucoin, and City Councilor Karen Rancourt-Thomas, D-Ward 7, who is running for mayor with no political party affiliation on the ballot, squared off in a debate hosted by CATV and held in the council chambers at The Center downtown.

About 25 people turned out for the event, moderated by Waterville attorney John Nale, who regularly hosts shows for CATV.

Nale asked for candidates’ positions on pay-as-you-throw, which requires residents to buy special trash bags for their garbage. The program includes a recycling component in which the city pays a hauler to pick up residents’ recyclables the first and third full week of the month.

Residents are not required to use pay-as-you-throw and may hire private haulers for trash removal.

Aucoin, a former city councilor and current maintenance director for Alfond Youth Center, said the program works for him and he has recycled for years. He said he has knocked on 1,500 to 2,000 doors while campaigning and has not heard a lot of complaints about pay-as-you-throw, but wants to wait to see how it works.

“So, do I have a position right now?” he said. “Absolutely not.”

Isgro, controller for Skowhegan Savings Bank, said he is sad that the city is in an economic situation where people have to buy special trash bags. Isgro was a vocal opponent of pay-as-you-throw while the City Council was debating the issue earlier this year. At the debate, he said he hopes that between now and the time the city holds a referendum in June, 2015, for voters to decide whether to repeal the program, the community will come together and talk about it.

“We have to do something,” he said. “We can’t do nothing and we need to figure it out together.”

Rancourt-Thomas, a teacher’s aide at Waterville Junior High School, said she voted against pay-as-you-throw three times, but noted she personally recycles and has no problem with that. Rancourt-Thomas said she has an issue with the city telling people they are going to be charged to dispose of their trash, calling it another service fee added to the tax they already are paying.

“I am against pay-as-you-throw and I’m not going to change my stance on that,” she said.

Nale said Waterville is a small city in terms of geography and has a lot of nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations within its limits. He asked candidates if they are willing to approach nonprofits to ask them to pay their fair share — and go to the state Legislature to ask for a change in the law to regulate nonprofits so that they do pay.

Rancourt-Thomas said nonprofit organizations use the city’s police, fire and public works services, the city is not getting the municipal revenue sharing it is due from the state and service fees from organizations would help lessen the burden.

“I would go to Augusta and ask them to change the law — absolutely,” she said.

Aucoin said that perhaps nonprofit organizations that do not pay taxes, or ones that resist paying service fees now, would look to the state government to use their political strength to get the municipal revenue sharing problem resolved. He said there are certain organizations he would exclude from having to pay, such as churches, but successful businesses and other entities have to find a way to help build local infrastructure and increase revenues for the city.

But Isgro said the city has to be very careful about the issue of nonprofit organizations, with Waterville’s economy in a recovery period.

“It’s easy to point fingers at those who are tax-exempt as the problem,” he said.

He said he the city should partner with Colby and Thomas colleges, as well as with the hospitals, to discuss ways to work together.

“We don’t want to add to the (college) tuition by just saying we’re going to charge you enormous fees,” he said.

All candidates said they see the municipal Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport as playing a significant role in Waterville’s future, drawing not only jets to for refueling stops, but also serving as a way to attract people to the state and places such as Sugarloaf USA.

Nale asked candidates what they think about Gov. Paul LePage’s threat to cut all municipal revenue sharing funds to towns and cities that provide aid to undocumented immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Rancourt-Thomas said the country is founded on the principles of helping others who are here legally.

“You can’t turn your back on people and let them fail,” she said.

Aucoin said his grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Canada, and as long as people are in a “legal framework,” the country should help them.

Isgro said if someone is in the U.S. through legal channels, he is not an illegal immigrant and should be helped.

“No, I do not agree with giving funds to illegal aliens,” he said.

On TIFs — tax increment financing mechanisms used by municipalities to help spur growth through tax breaks — Aucoin said he thinks they should be used only for development purposes such as jobs and economic development, but not for housing projects.

Isgro said the city has not come close to exploring how creative it can be with TIFs, and they are one of the few tools municipalities can use to attract business. Rancourt-Thomas agreed that TIFs should be used carefully.

“St. Francis housing — no,” she said. “They have enough money to do what they need to do.”

She was referring to an affordable housing complex built by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland this year on the site of the former St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church on Elm Street. City councilors recently rejected a request to add housing projects as an acceptable use of the funds to the city’s TIF policy.

The candidates Friday also spoke of the need to create new jobs in the city, to draw new residents and businesses and keep Waterville attractive so that young people want to stay.

The mayoral candidates will also meet for a debate at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30, at Thomas College’s Ayotte Auditorium. That debate, sponsored by the Morning Sentinel and Thomas College, will be live streamed at CentralMaine.com.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17

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