Why Hasn't Lisbon's Town Council Picked Up On This?

"Mike can we put our hands down now???"

                                                  FINANCE COMMITTEE

Has anyone given any thought as to why the Town Council is doing away with the Budget Advisory Board and establishing a Finance Committee?  Could it be because the Budget Advisory Board recommended unanimously not to support last year’s councilor’s budget?  It certainly would explain why instead of adding these additional duties to the current Budget Advisory Board; the council wants to select (you mean hand pick) individuals whose loyalty is to the council and NOT to the people of Lisbon.

 

 Lisbon Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge

These additional duties are what the taxpayers have been paying the town manager ($91,401 in 2011) as part of his duties.   For the past four years, tax dollars have been spent on the town manager’s salary and he has not been performing any of his responsibilities.  Let’s look at the Economic Community Development Department as a prime example.  The two areas where town funds provided by the state and federal government and our tax dollars are being utilized are the Revolving Loan Fund and the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program.  My research has shown there are outstanding loans which should have been paid off in 2008 still outstanding; one loan should have been paid off in September 2011 and finally two businesses have been out of business for longer than a year.  How is it possible; that this goes unnoticed for so long if he is doing his duty?  

The same thing applies to the TIF program because I requested a copy all of the Credit Enhancement Agreements (CEA) for the town’s state approved TIF’s.  At first the town denied my Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) stating I was not entitled to them; but once the state educated our town manager, town attorney and the town Director of the Economic Community Development Department, I received only four of the five active CEA’s.   

 Economic and Community Development Director Scott Benson

Also, only the Director apologized for the town’s error!  One of the CEAs was signed by the current town manager with an effective date of April 1, 2004.  It certainly is strange how a legal and binding document can be signed four years prior to the current town manager arriving to Lisbon.  I wonder how legal these documents will be in a court? 

The fifth CEA arrived approximately ten days later signed by the current town manager with an effective date of December 16th, 2002.  This is only six years before the current town manager arrived.  This means for the past four years, this town manager had no clue the town was missing these critical documents.  What are we paying this town manager to do exactly?  In the Army we have a saying for this type of performance, it is called being on the ROADs program (Retired On Active Duty); get it.
 

Now to further cover up the incompetency of the town manager,  this council is going to establish a Finance Committee.  Keep in mind, this Finance Committee is ONLY GOING TO BE ADVISORY just like the current Budget Advisory Board.  So please tell me again why we are doing this except to punish the current Budget Advisory Board for not support last year’s councilor’s budget and trying to get hand selected individuals who will be loyal ONLY to the council.

Of course, this is cheap labor because the Budget Advisory Board and now the Finance Committee are not paid for their time and effort!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen

(All photos pleasantly provided by: Councilor Cote)