All We Ask For Is Honest Straight Answers To Straight Forward Questions

  

       WHY CAN’T WE GET STRAIGHT ANSWERS FROM THE TOWN?


Wouldn’t it be nice if everything done by the town on our behalf was made available to Public?  I have been trying to find out how many vehicles in the Police Department are leased.  Now, one would think this would be an easy request to answer.  In Lisbon it takes two Priests, a Nun, a Rabbi and the Pope to get this information.  Apparently, this information is classified as a matter of National Security.

 

On July 5, 2013, I submitted my first Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) to the town.  It was worded as follows:  “Respectfully request a complete listing of all vehicles assigned to the Police Department with the following information: Year; Make; Model; Owned or Leased; what the vehicles is used for; mileage and when the vehicle is scheduled to be replaced.”  As you can see, I was very specific about whether the vehicles were owned or leased.  Apparently, neither Chief Brooks nor Finance Director, Jessica Maloy can read because below is the result of this request.

Please note the statement above the line.  It reads “The vehicles listed above were obtained via a lease/purchase.”  Well, which is it!   Can you tell from this document which vehicles are leased? 
   
Since, they did not comply with the Freedom of Access Act (FOAA), I submitted yet another Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) on July 17, 2013 which read “Respectfully request a “L” be placed to the left of the year on the attach listing of Police Department vehicles to indicate which vehicles are leased.”  I attached the listing they had previously provided to me to make it as easy as possible.  I feel this was idiot proof but once again the town proved me wrong.

On August 27, 2013, I received an email from the Town Clerk which reads and I quote “The Finance Director indicated the list you received of all vehicles, in the current fleet, that were leased as noted by the Chief’s statement "  The vehicles listed above were obtained via lease/purchase” is the only document I can locate.  At this point, I believe FOAA #115 will be marked as done.  Another list as requested with “L’s” does not exist.”  So, what started out as a simple request has now elevated to matters of National Security.  Why else would the town of Lisbon NOT provide this information? 

I cannot understand why Chief Brooks and Finance Director Maloy do not want this information released.  Are they doing something illegal?  What are they trying to keep me from knowing?  Wouldn’t you like to know how they are spending our tax dollars?

There is absolutely no transparency in Lisbon.

Larry Fillmore