Contact:
Krysta West
Communications Director
Senate Republican Office
(207) 287-1505
krysta.west@legislature.maine.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“I appreciate the Legislative Council unanimously approving LR 2831, “An Act To Revise the Municipal Consolidation Referendum Process.” After the voters of Lewiston and Auburn overwhelmingly rejected the proposed merger this past November, Mayor Jason Levesque of Auburn and Mayor Shane Bouchard of Lewiston approached me about sponsoring this legislation.

“Under current law, when anyone gathers enough signatures to initiate a municipal merger proposal, a joint charter commission is automatically formed at taxpayer expense, without any input from the voters. The key provision of this legislation would simply give the voters a say — before a joint charter commission is formed and taxpayer resources are spent — on whether or not they are interested in exploring the prospect of municipal consolidation.”

LR 2831 will now be drafted and considered by the full Legislature.

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