It's A Tough Job Trying To Educate Lisbons Management!

JUST TRYING TO EDUCATE

At last night’s Town Council meeting, under Audience Participation I tried to explain to the council about the useless information posted on the town web site.  This is the same information posted on the Lisbon Reporter, December 14, 2012 called  "The Little Red Wheel Goes Round~N~Round".  I also posted on the LisbonMaine.net and article called “And The Farmer Hauled Another Load Away”.  I explained to the council how having information on last year’s working documents on the budget and documents for the Public Hearing on May 8, 2012 was a waste of time.  Having outdated information on the town home page does not reflect positively on visitors to OUR town home page seeking current information.  One of the items I mentioned was the last Managerial Report was dated July 2012. 

During Audience Participation Response, the town manager, Mr. Eldridge asked to respond to my presentation.  Mr. Eldridge was very defensive in his tone and manner.  He started off by stating the Managerial Report had been changed from monthly to quarterly.  He also stated the staff is currently working on the next report.  I hate to tell Mr. Eldridge but quarterly means four times a year.  Normally, quarterly means January, April, July and October.  If the last Managerial Report is July 2012, where is the October version because if it is quarterly they are still missing one?  Mr. Eldridge also stated what I consider useless information someone else could consider it valuable.  Well, this is a very profound statement.  How useful are numbers which have been changed a dozen times and are not the numbers approved by the council are of any value?  I will let the people evaluate what is useless and what is not.

 Dumb & Dumber

Also at last night’s meeting, Chairman LaRochelle gave somewhat of an update on the LLC situation.  According to the Sun Journal and I quote “In other business Tuesday night, LaRochelle responded to accusations in a “tabloid” that his family received a Homestead Exemption they were not entitled to.  LaRochelle said the blog “has dragged my parents’ name through the mud.”  I am sorry Chairman LaRochelle feels this way but I do not believe anyone placed the blame on his parents.  A Homestead Exemption form was completed by his parents fourteen years ago and the town accepted it.  The fact of the matter is an LLC does not qualify for a Homestead Exemption according to the Maine Property Tax Bureau.  Just to educate Chairman LaRochelle I have posted the following definitions: 

tab·loid

 [tab-loid]Show IPA noun

1. a newspaper whose pages, usually five columns wide, are about one-half the size of a standard-sized newspaper page.

2. a newspaper this size concentrating on sensational and lurid news, usually heavily illustrated.

3. a short form or version; condensation; synopsis; summary.

An intrinsic example would be something along the lines of the SUN JOURNAL!!!!!

blog

[blawg, blog]Show IPA noun, verb, blogged, blog·ging. noun

1.a Web site containing the writer's or group of writers' own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.

ie. The Lisbon Reporter

Also in the article, Chairman LaRochelle stated and I quote “My parents took their exemption and put it into an LLC” he said, adding that they got “a lifetime Homestead Exemption.”  It is my understanding there is no such thing as “a lifetime Homestead Exemption”.  Once the exemption is filed it remains in effect until the status changes, such as moving out of the residence. 

The article also stated and I quote “Although it was not required, LaRochelle said he recently paid the town the difference in taxes over the last 10 years to put the matter to rest.”  We will have to wait and see because the state of Maine is supposed to receive half of amount paid in back taxes.

I am glad that Chairman LaRochelle finally provided an update to this situation.  It took four months for the people of Lisbon to be updated.

Larry Fillmore

Concerned Citizen