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RECAP TOWN COUNCIL
WORKSHOP APRIL 10TH PART 1
The Council Workshop was extremely enlightening and yielded some very interesting facts. There is
definitely going to be a tax increase this year in Lisbon. The
only question is how much it is going to be. The town manager has
convinced the town council there is a true need for a tax increase
and according to his figures he is probably right. However, his
recommendations are intended to support a tax increase. Remember,
Eldridge does not pay property tax in this town.
The first important fact is Eldridge’s
layout of the budget is designed to protect and hide money from the
people and to cover-up the excessive spending by Chief Brooks (the
person responsible for Eldridge being hired as town manager). Under
01-110, General Government/Contingency is a line item (5227) Grant
Match which has a description of “Provides Grant Matching for PD
Cruiser Video System $10,000 and furnishing to comply with Federal
Grant Funding of equipment for Dispatch $15,000.”
Both of these
items pertain strictly with the Police Department so why aren't
these two line items under the Police Department 02-200 Public
Safety/Police Department?
Brooks and Eldridge are concealing funds.
Also Brooks announced a $97,000 grant for Dispatch equipment at one
of the last Town Council Meetings that does not have to be matched by
the people of Lisbon. Doesn’t this sound screwy to you but it gets
better because when you ask the town about this they declare the
$15,000 dollars matching funds is for furniture. So
that means $30,000 dollars for furniture for one individual in one
office. What are you going to buy, a surround sound system, plasma
television, pool table, and who can tell what else? Also
under 02-202 Public Safety/Communications line item 5415 Furniture
and Fixtures there is another $400 dollars requested. Why?
Why is there a line item under 01-115
General Government/Insurance called 5255 Police Liability? This
Police Liability pertains solely to the Police Department so why
isn’t it under the 02-200 Public Safety/Police Department? Brooks
and Eldridge are hiding more dollars from the people to the tune of
$8,000 dollars.
Why is under 01-135 General
Government/Technology, is the Library Software Mandarain $6,000 and
IMC software (Communication Software) agreement for $18,000 listed
instead of their respective departments? This is strange because
under 02-200 Public Safety/Police Department there is a line item for
5271 Service and Software Agreement but none under 02-202 Public
Safety/Communications. There is no software line item under 04-410
Public Service/Library. Why?
Two more line
items I need to mention that we have asked in the past and so usual it fell on deaf ears. Why are Hydrant Rental and
Street and Traffic Lights listed under 03-315 and 03-320 respectively
Public Works? Public Works has absolutely nothing to do with neither
of these two line items. These two line items should be under
General Government because they pertain to the entire town and not a
single department. The reason these line items are under Public
Works is so that when the town has to explain the budget, the Police
Department budget will not stick out as the money pit that it is.
There are so many minor discrepancies
in this proposed budget it is laughable. My very favorite is under
the Town Manager/Mileage the description reads and I quote “Provides
travel for above listed employees. Amount set per contract - $300p/m
plus and addt’l travel.” Are you kidding me; $300 per mile?
Part 2 will explain more of the
cover-up and wasting of funds.
If you want to follow the line items simply click on the following link to read for yourselves the entire budget proposed by the town manager.
Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen
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