Are The Citizens In Lisbon In A Coma About The Illegalities Of Their Town Management?

PURCHASING POLICY IGNORED

During the last Town Council meeting, the Town Engineer Ryan Leighton requested the town council award a contract to a local contractor for the Route 196 Sewer Main Replacement project.  The original request was submitted through Eldridge and included on the council agenda. 

The cost of this project was well over $5,000.00 and required a “Formal Bidding” which was totally ignored.  The Town of Lisbon Ordinance demands any project in excess of $5,000.00 shall be in accordance with Section 86-34 Formal Bidding of the Lisbon purchasing policy.  This requires a Notice of Invitation to bid and should be published in a newspaper providing local coverage or mailed to a qualified bidders list.  Instead, Leighton only communicated with local contractors directly.  This is in violations of this section by not allowing, out of town qualified bidders, to submit a bid on this project.

The Town Charters allows local contractors to receive preference on all contracts.  It reads “provided all other factors are equal, a bidder having its place of business located within the town shall be awarded the contract if its bid is less than two percent higher than the low bidder.” or “If more than one bidder having its place of business located within the town is less than two percent higher than the low bidder, the contract shall be awarded to the lowest local bidder.” per Section 86-36.  This exception enables local venders to compete on local projects.

Let us not forget the April 19th Town Council meeting, Eldridge asked the council to allow Chief Galipeau to present an issue to the council.  This request was for $5,700.00 to move a building.  This request was not on the AGENDA but pushed through by the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Lisbon.  The council voted to approve (5-2 Cote and Lunt voted not to approve) the appropriation of $5,700 to FCI.  Sorry, but this violated the Lisbon Purchasing Policy Section 86-34 because it exceeds the $5,000.00 limitation and required a formal bid.  I hope no one tries to tell me this was an emergency situation because the building collapsed and was never moved. This illegal Purchase Order is still in effect and next week we will be into October.  The Town Council can approve up to $100,000.00 but must go through the Purchasing Policy.  This clearly demonstrates a complete disregard for the town charter by Bowie (puppet master) and the puppets.  I include Eldridge as one of the puppeteers.  This illegal Purchase Order needs to be immediately cancelled.

The residents of the Town of Lisbon have entrusted Ryan Leighton and the Chief Administrative Officer Stephen Eldridge to be familiar and adhere with the provisions of the town Charter.  The process utilized by Leighton and Eldridge is in direct violation to the Purchasing Policy.  It was exciting to see the Town Council recognized this violation and instructed Ryan Leighton to redo it properly.  This is not the responsibility of the Town Council but the Chief Administrative Officer.  At what point, are the citizens of the Town of Lisbon going to force the Town Manager to perform the duties he is receiving a salary (taxpayer dollars) of $80,000.00 plus.  Also, why do the residents have to put up with incompetence by Department Heads?  Ryan Leighton has clearly demonstrated he is not qualified to perform the duties as Town Engineer, Director of Public Works and Transfer Station or the Superintendent of Sewer.  Leighton receives a salary (taxpayers dollars) of $70,000.00 plus.

There is no wonder the taxes are so high in the Town of Lisbon when the taxpayers are forced to pay these enormous salary’s to individuals who are not qualified nor are performing the duties required by their position.  It is simple math; if you cut spending you cut taxes.  This has nothing to do with cutting service provided to the residents.  Until the citizens of Lisbon demand the Town Council reduce spending, your taxes will continue grow at a rate impossible to keep up with.  The Federal government has not raised the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in several years but this has not stopped the Town of Lisbon from raising taxes to cover the excessive spending.

Larry A. Fillmore
Concerned Citizen