Here's Your Chance Lisbon Residents To Voice Your Concerns, Before the Budget is passed and Tax Bills go out!

Come One – Come All

To All Lisbon Residents

Come one come all and watch your hard earned money go to excessive spending by the Town Manager and our Town Council. On Tuesday evening, June 21, 2011, at 7:00 PM, the Town Council will vote and approve the proposed budget presented to them by the Town Manager. This budget has an enormous amount of excessive spending. Here is a listing of some of the issues (not in any order of priority):

• 3.65% increase in the Town Manager secretary’s pay for “adjustment for job duties”. What are these additional duties?
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• 103.89% increase for the Town Manager and his Secretary for “Professional Development”. What is the training?
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• Why are the Fire Chief and the Recreation Department Director going to receive a $10,000.00 increase in their salary? According to my calculator, this is more than the 1.75% everyone else is receiving.
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• Under the Town Clerk, R & M Equipment the town spent $84.81 in 2010 and $502.00 in 2011 but the Town Manager has budgeted $2,400.00. There are approximately 50 line items which are all the same. The proposed budget is heavily padded.
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• Under the Animal Control Officer, Gas, is increased 85.42%. The notation reads “due to additional Town to patrol”. Why isn’t the other town paying for this additional gas?
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• Under the Town Engineer, this salary is $37,428.00. The notation reads “Town Engineer’s Salary @ 50%. Why is this only half of his salary? Is it because the other have is under Public Works/Solid Waste?
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• Under 70-700 Economic Development there is $54,418.00 proposed by the Town Manager and $109,157.00 by the Elected. The Town of Lisbon has a State of Maine approval to pay for the Economic Development from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) from Dingley Press. Why are any monies being allotted for the support of the Economic Development Department at all?
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• Under last year’s budget of $7,683,181.66 the town has spent approximately $6 million plus. Where is the other million plus going? I do not see it accounted for in this year’s budget.

I cannot believe the Town Manager is going to submit this proposal to the Town Council for a vote. But what is more important is the Town Council will rubber stamp this proposed budget with a vote of 6-1. 

If you check out the Town of Lisbon web site under Agenda you will find the agenda for Tuesday meeting. If you go under Agenda you will find agenda documents and handouts and there is no proposed budget. There is the proposed Council Working Rules but no proposed budget. I guess they do not want you to have an opportunity to review the proposed budget.

IT IS CRITICAL THE RESIDENTS OF LISBON WHO WANT A SAY IN HOW THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE TOWN COUNCIL SPENDS THEIR MONEY; TUESDAY NIGHT WILL BE THE ONLY TIME YOU WILL HAVE BEFORE THE VOTE. COME SEE HOW THE TOWN COUNCIL VOTES ON THIS BUDGET. THIS WILL CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE WHICH COUNCILORS HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN OF LISBON AT HEART.

Larry A. Fillmore
Concerned Citizen