BUDGET, REVISITED‏

When reading my today's, Wednesday, May 25, 2011, issue of the Brunswick Times Record, a headline at the bottom of the page caught my eye. It reads:

BUDGET TINKERING RESTORES , etc., etc It brought to my mind the Town of Lisbon budget.

The budget presented to the Town Council and Budget, Advisory Committee last night, most recent one dated 5/23/2011, bears little resemblance to the original budget dated 3/10/2011.



Go to lisbonme.org and click on the 2011/2012 budget.
If you attended the May 3rd public budget hearing and have a copy of the 4/29/2011budget draft, compare the figures and you will get an idea of how the budget changes from draft, to draft, from workshop to workshop.

Now, I know, preparing a town budget is no easy task.

It is not easy to please ALL town employees, taxpayers and the public. But, it would seem that by now, Town Manager and department heads should have a clear understanding of their wants and needs.

Each and every budget since has been "tinkered" with. Something added here, a line item transferred from one budget to another. Transferring electric, gas, from one department to another.

For instance, in the Assessing Department, the latest budget presented has, on line 5215, CONTRACTED SERVICES Manager (recommendation) $40,000 Elected $120,000. William Van Tuinen Assessing Services & Revaluation Services over a 4 YR period.

The $40,000 is to pay William Van Tuinen to work in the Assessing Department for the fiscal year 2011/2012. The remainder, $80,000, not broken out, is for a revaluation, at $80,000 a year for 4 years.

Now, Mr. Van Tuinen has been employed at the Town of Lisbon since March. Has been going over and updating the assessing records. It would seem that the job, revaluation, should be able to be completed in no more that 3 years, what with all the updating. Wouldn't you think?

A revaluation has been discussed since February, but I assumed the job would go out to bid. That is the fair and honest way to run a town. Put a job out to bid, and hire the firm best qualified for the fairest price. As for our revaluation, it would seem that it is a done deal.

Town Manager says "no".    We'll see ! ! ! ! ! ! !



By-the-way, I WILL be buying my Moxie t-shirts from Kennebec's, THE MOXIE STORE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !



Dot Fitzgerald
A Very Concerned Lisbon Citizen