Help, Who's In Charge In Lisbon?

WHO’S IN CHARGE????

While I was investigating the Police Department vehicle situation, I uncovered something very strange.  All this time, I believed Lisbon was under a Town Council form of government.  Now, I am not sure whom is in charge or whom is protecting our tax dollars.  Since, I discovered the scam to allocate funds to purchase vehicles and then lease to purchase the same vehicles it is extremely hard to determine what type of government we have in Lisbon.

Lisbon Police Chief David T. Brooks

I will explain.  Chief Brooks asked the Town Council for $48,816 tax dollars to purchase two police vehicles. (click here to read Town Council recorded minutes)  These vehicles were to replace vehicles already in the fleet that needed to be replaced.  The Town Council approved the $48,816 tax dollars for the purchase of these vehicles.  The Town Council is not naive enough to believe that $48,816.00 is a lease to purchase payment.   

 Lisbon Town Manager Stephen G. Eldridge

Then Chief Brooks, Town Manager Eldridge, and Finance Director Maloy changed what the Council directed and instead of purchasing these vehicles turned around and leased to purchase these vehicles at an additional cost to the people of over $15,000 tax dollars.  Requiring the taxpayers to pay an additional fee is certainly NOT in the best interest of the people of Lisbon.  But the bigger question is what gives Brooks, Eldridge and Maloy the right to change the decision of the Town Council? Who is really in charge?

Lisbon Finance Director Jessica Maloy

There had to be a plan in place by Chief Brooks when he requested $48,816.00 tax dollars from the Town Council knowing fully well he was only going to use approximately $15,331.72 for the 1^st years lease to purchase payment.  So, what was his plan for the remaining $33,484.79 and where is it now?  Once, the Town Council approved the purchase of these vehicles for $48,816.00; the spending of this money for any other purpose has to be “misappropriation of funds”.     So exactly where is this $33,484.79?

As everyone in Lisbon knows, I ask questions at almost every Town Council meeting during Audience Participation and never get an answer from Chairman LaRochelle.  My chance of getting any answers to these questions are slim and none. 

 I need your help.   

Please email any of the following and see if you can get an answer because it is your tax dollars too!

Chief Brooks – dbrooks@lisbonpd.com

Stephen Eldridge – Seldridge@lisbonme.org

Jessica Maloy – Jmaloy@lisbonme.org

You’re Town Councilor address and phones listed at top of page on the right. Call them, email them, ask them, they work for you.

If you get a response, which I doubt, please send the response to me as a comment to my articles on your favorite web site.

Larry Fillmore