Stop Distorting The Truth!!!!

DO CITIZENS OF LISBON DESERVE A READABLE BUDGET?

Below is an extract of the Police Department’s portion of the Skowhegan’s Municipal Budget for 2012. This budget is broken down by departments and clearly explains all the entries in the budget. This budget outlines everything clean and concise so everyone can read this and know how their tax dollars are being spent. The Town of Skowhegan is extremely transparent and the people of Skowhegan should be proud of the outstanding management of their town.

Now, try and compare Skowhegan’s budget with Lisbon’s budget. Lisbon’s budget is so convoluted no one will be able to read and understand anything. This is the method the town manager and the town council used to hide mismanagement of our tax dollars. Bowie continues to conspire with Brooks to keep the people from knowing how much money is being spent by the police department. I used the Skowhegan police department to compare to Lisbon’s police department to ensure I am comparing apples to apples. The Lisbon police department is the most costly department in Lisbon. Brooks has openly admitted to spreading the operating cost of OUR communications center in different areas of the budget. There is no telling how much money for the police department is scattered throughout the budget. How can anyone determine what the actual operating costs of any department is when line items are spread throughout the budget?

Look at Skowhegan’s budget and you will find all the operating costs for each department is listed under the correct department. This provides anyone who wants to know what the total operating cost is to see it clearly. In Lisbon’s municipal budget there is no transparency, citizens have to search and search for line items pertaining to a department to determine the total operating cost of the department. Creative accounting is how the town manager, town council and Brooks conceal and misuse tax dollars. People have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent.

The people must make a stand and demand management create a budget more in line with Skowhegan’s in order to determine where to make cuts in our operating costs so we can lower our tax bills. Let’s put a stop to this mismanagement and restore transparency in Lisbon.

Larry Fillmore

Concerned Citizen