This is in response to Leroy Walker Sr.’s guest column (March 19) regarding his thoughts as it relates to the Joint Charter Commission’s vision for Lewiston and Auburn. I certain respect his thoughts regarding the commission’s vision, however, I disagree with Walker’s comments regarding the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council.

I was executive director of the LAEGC from 1979 to1983. The two cities and two development corporations decided to join forces to create the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council. The plan received nearly unanimous support by all four entities. At that time, the leaders, both public and private sectors of both cities, recognized that the two cities had to work together to ensure its commercial and industrial sector would grow and diversify. At the same time, the expansion of commercial and industrial sectors would result in the creation of more, and better, “head of household” employment opportunities.

During my tenure as executive director, the council assisted dozens of companies in both cities. Just those projects in Auburn that I worked with have been paying the city of Auburn millions of dollars every year for more than 30 years. The employees of those companies have been spending millions of dollars in Auburn since the early 1980s. The return on investment to Auburn is many, many times what it cost the city for its share to fund the council. That does not include the number of projects the council was involved with after I left as executive director.

The council was created so both cities and both development corporations would have a seat at the board of directors. Not only did the council work with new companies, and expanding companies, it also worked on other economic development issues, such as the expansion of the University of Maine Lewiston Auburn, the hydro project in Lewiston, the Central Maine Community College, the access roads from the Turnpike to the Airport Industrial Park and the Lewiston Industrial Park and others.

If there were issues 10 years ago, as Walker maintains, why did it take so long for the council to make needed changes? Also, if the industrial base of both cities is strong and vibrant, we will realize more retail growth on major arteries like Center Street and Minot Avenue, as well as Washington Street, River Road and those arteries in Lewiston.

I would encourage both cities to review the role of the council. We are talking about the future of both cities. Hopefully that will include more of our young, those underemployed and those unemployed, realizing the opportunity to stay, work and play in the communities they call home.

John Turner, Auburn