I just came in from knocking on doors at Seton Village. An interesting way to end the day. Everyone is so nice, and the place is spotless. It seems like an appropriate way to spend your later years, to live in a safe and attractive environment.

I saw the “no soliciting” signs on each building, but only one person reminded me of it. People wanted to talk.

Many of the people living in Seton Village fondly remember a Waterville with good-paying jobs on both sides of the river; of growing families, a bustling downtown and just an overall vibrant community. Household income set on a base of union jobs made Waterville a place to work, raise a family and grow old with dignity.

The reality of today is that, with a few exceptions, those good-paying jobs are gone, replaced with minimum-wage jobs offering 30 hours per week. The numbers don’t lie. Our population is down to just under 16,000. Our household incomes continue to shrink as well. Our tax rate, at $ 27.40 barely pays for the municipal services we need to be seen as a place to live. One-third of all our accessible property is exempt from taxes: property tax, sales tax and income tax.

The sky is not all dark, however. Our recreation complexes — Quarry Road, the Boys and Girls Club partnership with the city and a unique trails system — are some of the best in the state. Our schools, despite financial hurdles, continue to be among the best. We have the Maine International Film Festival. We have the Colby museum of art. By next summer, our airport will be first class. And, most importantly, we have talented and intelligent people who will stand up and contribute if they are asked. I know this last part firsthand.

What we need is growth. We need to enlarge our tax base with jobs that pay, at the least, a living wage. Earlier this year, the city council unanimously passed an endorsement of raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. I wrote that resolution that Councilor Fred Stubbert sponsored. Some were uncomfortable and said it was not the city’s place to do that. I say that democracy grows from the ground up; that our voices should be heard on every important issue.

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We need to grow our homeowner base. We need more people, more families, living here and invested in this community

Our collective voices need to be heard in Augusta, requiring economic justice for our community. We all have to participate to recover the money owed us in state revenue sharing. When we were treated fairly; when Paul LePage was mayor, our share of state revenue sharing was $2 million more than today. That was when we, as a city council, could cut the tax rate by $3 per $1,000 worth of property. As governor, LePage and his party undid all that with a $400 million tax cut, leaving Waterville and most other communities holding the bag.

Then there is the longstanding and growing issue: What do we do when one-third of our property pays no taxes? Beyond voluntary payments, which I do not exclude, the solutions lie in Augusta. Any public official cannot ignore that fact. To that end, I want to create an open community dialogue to find an answer.

I am an advocate who brings people — all people — together to create solutions. I would invite every part of this city to work on this last and all these issues with a special place for those who benefit. I would ask our delegations from neighboring towns and districts to get together with us; to understand the position the laws have put us in. We need a partnership with all our area communities to level the playing field.

I will encourage and ask people to step outside their own concerns and look at the big picture. I will go outside city hall to all parts of the community to hear the voices often not heard. I will ask for and encourage ideas, energy and commitment.

Beyond generalities, I would support Waterville having its own economic development person; a competent and skilled person with a verifiable track record. I know that the new Trafton Road interchange needs to be built. It will lead to one of our remaining areas to grow. And I will never mix the personal with politics. I know firsthand that just poisons the well.

Steve Aucoin is the Democratic candidate for mayor in Waterville.


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