Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 M AY 2 9 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N including Platz's, and the state matched it up to $50,000. Gov. Paul LePage, a Lewiston native, has been a vocal supporter of the merger. Platz, who was born in Lewiston, grew up in Auburn and lives there. He says the 1922 merger of the small towns of Dover and Foxcroft, which as of the 2010 U.S. Census had a population of 4,213 and 68 square miles of land spanning the Piscataquis River, also incurred hiccups, even though it was a comparatively small-scale merger. " ere were six to eight attempts to merge the towns, but in the 1922 vote it passed by an over- whelming majority because women got the right to vote in 1920," Platz says. It will take until 2020 for the Lewiston-Auburn merger details to be implemented, even if the ref- erendum passes, he says. His company, which has developments on both sides of the river, won't get any direct windfall from the merger's savings, he says. "An extra $1,200 per month [in tax savings] doesn't do anything. I'd rather see the city build a park- ing garage, because that has a big eff ect on drawing people in. We already share so much," Platz says. Dealing with one planning board, and having pro- spective tenants realize that they're not just coming to one small city, but to a metropolitan area that he feels might someday rival Portland with its available parking and low housing prices, are the bigger benefi ts, he says. His company just brought in San Francisco- based health care technology company Grand Rounds, which had also looked at Baltim ore, Boston, Newport, Biddeford, Portland and Lewiston. Grand Rounds said it expects to create 150 jobs within fi ve years. It located its fi rst East Coast operations in Lewiston's Bates Mill No. 6. Carl Sheline, campaign co-manager of One LA and offi cer manager at Center Street Dental in Auburn, acknowledges there are strong feelings of identity on both sides of the river, but there are new benefi ts to merging the cities while still retaining their history. "We have to stop thinking about the past and look at the future," he says, citing effi ciencies from having one city government, economies of scale in purchases, improved city services and a decrease in property taxes, which is important for businesses. "We'll still have Auburn's Edward Little Red Eddys and Lewiston's Blue Devils. Once people start thinking about it, they'll realize we can keep who we are and move forward together." LOri ValiGra, Mainebiz senior writer / content specialist, can be reached at lValiGra @ mainebiz.biz and @LValiGra We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With We are highly pro [merger]. With twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive twin cities, it's an expensive vanity to have two of everything. Taxes continue to go up and services continue to be cut in both places and throughout the United States. — Peter Rinck CEO, Rinck Advertising

• Cover