IF LISBON COULD EFFORTLESSLY MANAGE THEIR FINANCES WITHOUT HIDING EVERYTHING!!!!!

 LISBON RESIDENTS BUDGETING FOR DUMMIES 

I know that everyone is wondering why I have spent so much time trying to show the citizens of Lisbon the misappropriations of funds.  Well, the reason is the Town Manager and Town Council will be working with the Finance Committee on the 2013-2014 budgets.  I have continually showed and documented not only excessive spending but the total lack of accountability.  The Town Manager continues to spend, spend, spend and the taxpayers are forced to pay,pay,pay for it.  I have not found anywhere near all the misappropriations but it is plain to see the majority of the money is being spent in the Communications Center and the Police Department.  As I learn more, I will expose it.

As you all are aware of last year, we had a 1.26 mil rate increase which raised our taxes to cover a $546,429 shortage in our budget (2012-2013) to cover all the necessary spending that needed to be done.  This included the furniture for the Communications Center which Chief Brooks told us was from a grant but there never was a grant so the taxpayers had to pay the bill.  There was more and more spending that was never budgeted like three vehicles at a total of $16,100.00.  The 2012-2013 budget was approved on June 5, 2012 and effective July 1, 2012.  Now it is important to remember these dates.


 

The Town Council know THAT the citizens of Lisbon do not attend Town Council meetings and therefore do not pay any attention to where or how their tax money is being spent.  However, not 77 days after the Town Council approved the 2012-2013 budget; the Town Council approved the Carry Forward of $1,103,320.32 on August 21, 2012.  This is well over a millions dollars that was not spent in the previous year.

 Now comes the big question; “Why was there a need to raise the mil rate and our taxes if we had over a million dollars not spent from the previous year?”  If we were short $546,429, why did we not use some of this million dollars to offset the difference?  

The better question is how the Town Council and Town Manager are getting away with this? 

 The answer is simple the residents of Lisbon are too lazy and do not care what the Town Council does.  Residents do not come to the meetings and question things like this and the Town Council counts on just that.  This is the very reason it is so hard to get information out of the town.  I have had to spend my own money to learn what I have provided to you.  These are the town’s own documents so let’s see the town argue them.

It is the taxpayers of Lisbon who are at fault here.  The people need to pay more attention to what our management is doing with our tax dollars.  Some will argue that we need to have a little extra for emergencies but the town has an Undesignated Fund with over a million dollars which is completely separate from what we have here.

Now I can assure the people of Lisbon that the Town Council is going to use the Governor’s plan to cut Revenue Sharing as justification for yet another tax increase when it is the excessive spending and the lack of accountability that is the real issue.  

HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE A BUDGET IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH WAS ACTUALLY SPENT IN ANY DEPARTMENT? 

This is how the taxpayers of Lisbon are being robbed daily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Wake up; you are the problem!!! 

Larry Fillmore
Concerned Citizen