Taxpayers, you should know

To The Taxpayers of The Town of Lisbon:

I feel that you as taxpayers should know how some of your tax dollars are being spent.

I am on the Budget Advisory Committee, and have gone through the budget for
every Town of Lisbon Department. 

Following are some of my findings:

FYI, this is all public information.


There is well over $32,000.00 in the proposed budget for Professional Development!

I may be wrong but I feel that town of Lisbon taxpayers should not be paying for Town employees continuing education; for licensing, re-licensing and/or accreditation. 

Town Manager Steve Eldridge's salary is over $85,000 per year. He also receives, per his contract approved by Town council, an additional $4,000 traveling expenses to and from his home in Monmouth, and work in Lisbon. I do not feel that taxpayers should also be paying $4,500 for his Professional Development, plus $1,000 meals and lodging. Especially  when many Town of Lisbon taxpayers are making $20,000 a year or less.

At a time when we are losing businesses and when they are just trying to stay afloat our new assessor, Mr. Pat Dow, is attempting to tax small business owners for personal property for more income to the town. We need to find savings anywhere we can. And I strongly feel that this is a way that Town Council,  Mr. Eldridge, and the Budget/Advisory Committee can reduce the budget by over $30,000 and keep some from losing their job.


The Maine Municipal Association (MMA) offers all the training and continuing education necessary for ALL State of Maine town and City employees, for licensing, re-licensing and accreditation!  At a cost of $50.00 to a few hundred dollars.

I give Mr. Green, Superintendent of Schools and the School Committee credit
for presenting to the town a bare bones budget. It includes a slight tax increase, but many difficult cuts had to be made to arrive at that amount.

I can see where many other cuts can be made in the town budget, unpopular
with town employees, but that's for another time.

I strongly urge all Town of Lisbon Citizens and especially Taxpayers to
attend the public presentation for both the Town and School Budgets on Tuesday April 27, 2010, at the new Lisbon Elementary School, (LCS) in Lisbon Center. The meeting begins at 7 P.M. 

This is YOUR opportunity to listen and learn.
This is YOUR opportunity to voice your opinion, either for or against.
This is as close to the old Town Meeting form of government as possible today.

In closing I have only these few words to say:

SHOW UP OR SHUT UP - WHEN YOU GET YOUR TAX BILL!

Dot Fitzgerald
Member Budget/Advisory Committee
And A Very Concerned Citizen


( I did find out today that the former Town Manager's, Development budget was $1,000. He attended things put on by the MMA. That is all that is necessary. Eldridge attends to get more letters after his name to make him look good for his next job.)

Disclaimer:
The thoughts expressed in this letter are mine and mine alone.
They are not sanctioned by the Lisbon Town Council or the Advisory/Budget 
Committee. Dot Fitzgerald