Recap of Workshop 080712

Lisbon town attorney Roger Therriault
Note: All Photos graciously provided by Councilor Cote

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP – AUGUST 7TH

At last night’s town council workshop there were two agenda items:  Davis Cemetery and the Charter Amendment for the people to vote on the Municipal Budget.  This first one was simple according to the town attorney, Roger Therriault.  Cemeteries abandoned, which have veterans buried in them, automatically revert to the municipalities responsibility to maintain.  There are numerous veterans buried in the Davis Cemetery.  The town will have to establish a Trust Fund to cover the cost of maintaining the Davis Cemetery.  The major point is that no money can be utilized for anything except the maintenance of the cemetery.  This means it will not be part of the town’s General Fund and cannot be accessed by the town council or the town manager.

The town attorney, Roger Therriault gave a short briefing on the first draft of the Charter Amendments relating to referendum vote on the Annual Operating Budget.  In this draft, Therriault provided three options for what is to happen if the people do NOT pass the proposed budget.  These options were:

 After two NO votes by the people, the Town Managers proposed budget would be utilized as the budget for the year.
After two NO votes by the people, the Town Council’s proposed budget would be utilized as the budget for the year.
After two NO votes by the people, last year’s budget will be utilized as the budget for the current year. 

Councilor Roger Bickford:   We  geese, I don't know what to say , guess I have no balls either!!!!

Stephen G. Eldridge :LisbonTown Crook,,whoops we meant manager.  BaaHaa!

At this point, Councilor Bowie took total control of the workshop.  Bowie recommended the council select option 2 because this is the form of government the town’s people elected to have.  Well, there is a reason that 2025 voters wanted to vote on the municipal budget and that is because they are not happen with the excessive spending by the town council which leads to higher taxes.  So what possible good does it do to revert to the town council’s proposed municipal budget after two NO votes by the people?  

All this does is cost the town an additional cost for a second vote.  According to the town clerk, this is approximately $3,000 dollars per election.  This is a direct contradiction to what the people ask for.  However, this council is ignoring the desires of the people just as they did this year with the municipal budget.  The people spoke at the public hearing on the municipal budget that the people did not want a 2% wage increase included in the budget and yet it is in this year budget; so much for hearing the people or doing what your constituents want.  A former council took place and led me believe that this council is made up of heathens and I saw firsthand last night exactly what he was talking about. 

 Vice Chair Lori Pomelow, " I have no balls either"

Bowie went on to ensure the people will never be able to stop the council’s excessive spending by requiring at least 15% of the registers voters (7000) having to vote in the election before it is a valid vote. This means at least 1025 voters have to show up and vote.  The original proposal was for the people to vote by departments and not on the entire budget but that never came out in the workshop.  Apparently, it was lost in the shuffle or deliberately left off. Also, Therriault left the capital budget out of the municipal budget so this has to be added into the municipal budget.  

Councilor Lisa Ward,,, " I certainly have no balls"

After all of this was said and done Bowie turned to Roger Bickford and asked him if he was OK with Bowie’s changes.  Bickford said he did not care as long as the people get a chance to vote on the budget.  A lady in the audience said I did not realize Roger and I are the same; neither of us has a pair of balls.

  This lady was right on point because Roger Cote and Roger Bickford were the two councilors who were trying very hard to give the people what they wanted.  Roger, get off your knees and be a man. 

Just to recap for you, if the people do not approve the municipal budget after two votes then whatever the town council’s proposed budget will be the budget for the year.  I will give you an example: if the council presents an inflated budget by 50% and the people vote it down and then the council come back with an inflation rate of 25% and the people vote it down then the 25% inflated budget will automated go into effect.  There is no penalty or inspiration for the town council to make any attempt to reduce spending.  
The correct solution is Option 3, make the town live with utilizing last year’s budget.  This will be an incentive for the council to present a budget the people can live with.  The Tax Increment Financing Program alone last year was inflated by $107,000 dollars and where is that extra money now and why wasn’t it applied to this year’s budget in an attempt to reduce our taxes.Now for the final comment on this blatant attempt to keep control of the municipal budget and ignore the wishes of the people.  Bowie, the puppet master, orchestrated the entire workshop while the puppets said nothing.  Clearly, this council cares little to nothing about the people of Lisbon and what their wishes Care.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Counclilor "Puppet Master" Master Mike Bowie

VOTE THEM OUT IN NOVEMBER ESPECIALLY BOWIE.

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen