With all the recent focus on how dysfunctional government can be, there is pretty widespread agreement that where government actually works best is at its most modest level, in the small towns and cities at America’s rural roots. And that may especially true in Maine.

Almost all the challenges with which the nation’s biggest and most complex government entities are confronted pertain to various degrees right here in Androscoggin County, too, but somehow, with relatively few resources and increasing pressures on local budgets to do more with less, the job usually gets done. Snow is plowed. Potholes are filled (eventually, at least). Most importantly, first responders respond, and our towns and cities are among the safest in the country; probably in the world, in fact.

Androscoggin County is divided among 14 towns and cities, the smallest of which (Wales) has a population of fewer than 1,500 folks, and the largest – Lewiston, at nearly 36,000, and Auburn, with more than 23,000 – together comprise the second-largest population center in the state.

“Towns” are municipal units whose form of government includes an annual town meeting; many also have boards of elected selectmen who tend to local affairs between meetings.

“Cities,” on the other hand, have council-manager systems of government, in which citizens participate in a republic, delegating decision making to councils of elected policy-makers who in turn supervise professional managers.

Ten of the Androscoggin County municipalities are towns which continue to be governed by traditional New England town meetings, perhaps the purest form of democracy still practiced in the western world. The exceptions, those cities governed by the council-manager format, include Lewiston and Auburn, but also Lisbon and even Mechanic Falls, which with a population of just over 3,100 is the smallest actual city in the county.

Auburn was the first city in Maine and the second in New England to adopt the council-manager system with a professional manager, an elected mayor and seven-member city council. As is typical in Maine cities, elected officials are paid a modest stipend and serve in traditionally part-time capacities, while the manager, reporting to the council, oversees professional employees in numerous departments, including police, public works, safety, fire, parks and recreation, and library, assessing and others, but not including the separate school administration.

It is much the same array of functions you would find in Boston or other big cities, but cities like those of Androscoggin County must deliver those services with smaller staffs and much smaller budgets. With its prominent courthouse overlooking the eponymous Court Street, Auburn is also the county seat of Androscoggin, providing the county jail and housing the county council as well as the court.

Auburn’s municipal headquarters, which is shares with the Auburn school department and the police department is at 60 Court St., and all government services and information is available at www.auburnmaine.gov. City Manager Clint Deschene reports directly to the city council, which is lead by Mayor Jonathan LaBonte.

Lewiston is the second-largest city in Maine, and the structure of its government is similar to its cross-river partner city, with which it shares a number of services and contracting opportunities. With its historic city hall located at 27 Pine Street, Lewiston’s government can be accessed at www.ci.lewiston.me.us. Lewiston’s government consists of a seven-member council, elected Mayor Robert Macdonald, and City Administrator Ed Barrett.

Lisbon, which includes the village of Lisbon Falls, is headquartered at 300 Lisbon St., and is accessible via www.lisbonme.org. It is governed by a seven-member town council which includes a chairperson, currently Fern Larochelle. Lisbon’s dozen-and-a-half departments are administered by Manager Stephen Eldridge, another local area professional with extensive public sector management credentials and experience.

Mechanic Falls, at 108 Lewiston Street, is served by a five-member town council, chaired by Dan Blanchard. The town employs a full-time professional manager, John Hawley, and town services and information are available at www.mechanicfalls.govoffice.com.

The other 10 towns have a variety of boards of selectmen, managers and administrators, but each is governed by the action taken by the full citizenry at the annual town meeting. For example, Greene is served by a five-member board of selectmen, chaired by Ronald Grant; Manager Charles Noonan – who also serves as town clerk, tax collector, treasurer and road commissioner; and a variety of boards and committees. Headquartered at 220 Main St., Greene is accessible at www.townofgreene.net.

Janet Smith is the administrative assistant/administrator of Durham, at 630 Hallowell Rd., and Jeff Wakeman is chair of a five-person board of selectmen. More information is accessible at www.durhamme.com.

Joyce Pratt is administrative assistant and primary staff person and contact for the town of Leeds, which with a population of just about 2,000 is the second smallest in the county and has as its official address a post office box (206). There is a three-member board of selectmen to whom Joyce reports, and town information is accessible at www.townofleeds.com.

Livermore and Livermore Falls are separate towns, each with its own government. Livermore Falls is actually the larger of the two communities, with a population of over 3,200. Krystal Flagg is town manager, and the town’s five-member board of selectmen is also its board of assessors, chaired by William Demeray. Located at 2 Main St., the town’s website is www.lfme.org

With a population of just over 2,100, the town of Livermore is served by Administrative Assistant Kurt Schaub and Town Clerk Renda Libby, both of whom report directly to the town meeting. The town building, at 10 Crash Road, has no website of its own, but is covered by that of the local chamber of commerce at www.jay-livermore-lf.org.

Minot whose town offices are at 329 Woodman Hill Rd., has a five-member board of selectman chaired by Dean Campbell, with services administered by Arlan Saunders. Its website is www.minotme.org.

Poland is headquartered at 1231 Maine St, has a five-member board of selectmen chaired by Stephen Robinson, and the principal professional officer of the town is manager Rosemary Roy. Detailed town information is available at www.polandtownoffice.org.

Sabattus, 190 Middle Rd., is served by Manager Andrew Gilmore and a three-person board of selectmen. www.sabattus.org.

Turner, located at 11 Turner Center Rd., is served by Manager Scott LaFlamme. Angelo Terreri chairs a five-member board of selectmen, and all you need to know can be found at www.turnermaine.vom

Paul Burgess chairs a three-member board in tiny Wales, population 1,452, and Sharon Siegel serves as treasurer/office manager. Town government is housed at 175 Centre Rd., and more information can be found at www.walesmaine.org.

While Mainers love nothing more than griping about potholes, most also acknowledge that the mostly volunteer elected leaders in Androscoggin County are deeply committed to the people and communities they serve. And in 10 of 14 communities, we, the people, have the most direct possible impact on how well we serve ourselves. Not bad; not bad, at all.

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