January 4, 2011 Recall Vote‏

I would like to thank Darcy Moore for the excellent reporting she did on the Citizens petition, for the recall of Town Councilor and former Chair of the Lisbon Town Council, Michael R. Bowie. Her article in the December 31, 2010, January 1,2, 2011, issue was timely, informative, and accurate. The article on January 5^th issue, the day following the referendum vote, was excellent as well. The Times Record is fortunate to have a reporter on their staff who pays attention to detail and strives to do it right.

            My name is Dot Fitzgerald. I headed up the recall petition, but I did not do it alone, I would like to publicly thank Sandy Kent, Sue Carrier, Maryann Morgan and Deb Barry, the ladies who took time from their busy lives to assist, and collected signatures for the petition. I could not have done it alone. While 288 signatures of registered voters in Ward 2, the Lisbon Falls area, were necessary to have the petition placed on a ballot for a referendum vote, we had over 400, and had to turn away others not from Ward 2, and after the petition was submitted to Town Office. That told us that the citizens of the Town of Lisbon were behind us in the recall.

A minimum of 608 registered voters of Ward 2 were necessary to validate the election, and a majority “yes” votes for the recall. A total of 257 votes were cast, 160 yes, 96 no, with one ballot blank. Needless to say, I was disappointed in the turnout, the number of people who took the time to go to the polls and vote. I do want to thank those who did. This is democracy at it’s best.

I was given the credit and took the complaints.

There had been many complaints about Mike Bowie in his capacity as Chair of the Lisbon Town Council, many who said, he needs to go. A few of us, citizens of Lisbon, took the initiative, took out the petition and circulated it. Now I do not want to hear any complaints about Mr. Bowie on the Council.

You, the citizens of Lisbon, had an opportunity to make a change, and did not.

Again, I would like to thank the Times Record, and especially Darcy Moore, for an excellent job of reporting and printing the facts.

Sincerely Yours,

Dorothy B. Fitzgerald

Chair, the recall committee