The Town Manager and the Town Council are at it again

All Lisbon Residents

The Town Manager and the Town Council are at it again. It is budget season and the Town Manager and Town Council are hiding outrageous spending. They are blaming raising taxes again this year on the decrease in state and federal funding. After reading the information below, see if you agree.

At the 12 April 2011 Public Hearing on the budget, the Town Manager did not give a presentation justifying their spending instead he tried to cover it up. The town budget should be prepared to show the residents where and why they are increasing spending or decreasing services to the residents.

The town budget has several items in there which needs to be addressed. In the latest budget proposal, five wage workers are losing their jobs in order to provide salary increases to personnel already receiving the highest salaries in the town. Originally, the Town Manager recommended six individuals to receive a ten thousand dollar pay raise. Below are the individuals and their current salaries (these figures were provided by the town):

Stephen Eldridge $83,842

David Brooks 68,653

Ryan Leighton 69,310

Sean Galipeau 53,840

Wayne Ricker 46,616

Mark Stevens 36,144

*The current proposal still has $13, 127 increases in the Town Manager’s budget. I believe the breakdown is $10,000 for his salary and $3,127 for his secretary’s professional development.

At the Public Hearing the Town Manager stated only two of these individuals were going to get the raises. One was the Town Engineer, Ryan Leighton, who is now going to receive an 8% increase to offset the additional duties as the Director of three departments which already have Directors in the proposed budget. One department is Public Works and Mr. Beale will receive the same salary he current is receiving but as a wage employee. It will be the same for the other two departments. These new wage workers will be eligible to collect overtime at the expense of the residents of Lisbon. This is their idea of cutting operating cost. It is a new scam.

The old scam was to inflate salaries as they hired new personnel. A prime example of this scam is in the Economic Development Department. Three directors ago had a Masters Degree in Economics’ and was paid $42,000. The next director had an Associated Degree in Liberal Art (which has nothing to do with Economics’) and received a salary of $60,000+. I guess it is who you know. The current director has a Masters Degree in Economics’ and is receiving $55,000. The key players in this town are receiving inflated salaries.

Another example of why our taxes are so high is the Town Engineer position. I believe it requires a Civil Engineer and the current Town Engineer is a Mechanical Engineer receiving $69,310 of our tax dollars. There is a great deal of difference between a Civil Engineer and a Mechanical Engineer. I do not see how the current individual is qualified to hold this position.

However, all of these scams are perfectly legal because the Town Council approved them. There is no one in the Town of Lisbon that can tell me the Town Council has the best interest of the town or its residents at heart when voting on such items. There are numerous other items going on which are not in the best interest of the town but because the Town Council rubber stamps anything the Town Manager puts before them they will continue to raise our taxes. I believe two councilors spouses are operating businesses out of their residence which is zoned residential. If true, this is a violation of our town ordnances. But the bigger question is why hasn’t anyone addressed this issue before. Town councilors should be setting the example not be the offenders.

The real injustice in the Town of Lisbon is residents never come out and speaking up at town council meeting before the items are approved. At Town Council meeting there is two of us speaking out trying to make a difference. The only time we see the rest of the residents is after the fact. Everyone was so upset after last years tax increase but once it is done it can not be changed. Now is the time to speak out. 

Come to the final budget meeting on 3^rd May 2011. It is currently being held at the new Lisbon Community School Cafeteria at 7:00PM.

My personal feelings is any Councilor who votes for any budget increasing our taxes again this year need to be immediately recalled. We need Councilors who have the town’s best interest at heart.

Larry Fillmore

Lisbon, Me.