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The Town Attorney, Roger Therriault’s office is in Bath, Maine which is in Sagadahoc County. Lisbon is located in Androscoggin County and the majority of our legal business is conducted in Lewiston/Auburn. This means that Mr. Therriault has to travel from Bath to Lewiston /Auburn through Cumberland County to perform his duties for Lisbon. This is approximately 26 miles which takes about 40 minutes one way.
I understand that Mr. Therriault is paid at least $150.00 per hour. The clock starts ticking the minute Mr. Therriault gets into his car. So before he conducts any legal work, he has cost the taxpayers of Lisbon approximately $150.00 each way which means $300.00 tax dollars are spent on travel alone for every action taken.
It is no wonder that the town is over in legal fees every year. The majority of our legal fees are pure travel.
Why is it that the town of Lisbon does not hire an attorney who has offices in Lewiston /Auburn and eliminate this travel time?
Mr. Therriault has been the town for years; so when you do the math it tells us all how many tax dollars have been wasted on travel. Is it so difficult to figure out how to save tax dollars? I think this one is pretty obvious!
Come on Councilors and do what is right here and replace Mr. Therriault with someone local instead of two counties away. This will save the taxpayers of Lisbon a great deal of tax dollars. Currently, year to date the town has spent $39,841.50. The town only approved $40,000.00 last year and that was an increase of $6,000.00 from the previous years. These figures are off the current proposed budget as of March 14, 2014 and I am sure it does not include the legal fees for the Human Rights Complaint or the additional fees concerning the civil legal case on the $32,500.00 which the trial is scheduled for May 12, 2014.
Stop wasting our tax dollars on travel and hire a town attorney from Lewiston /Auburn.
Larry Fillmore
6 comments:
Where is our Town Finance Committee?
Among their Powers and Duties when the Finance Committee was formed is "review all budgets and make recommendations to the Council thereon".
Have they even reviewed the town and/or school budget?
I have attended all council meetings and workshops and have yet to hear any recommendations,
other than they discussed the bonds for the town garage and plow truck.
Time to get to work, guys!
There are many places where savings can by made.
Hey Larry how many of these $300 trips from "two counties away" (what county lies between Sagadahoc and Androscoggin?) have been the result of frivolous legal action you've taken against the town?
Anonymous - The two times I sued the town, I WON. So explain to me how can these cases be "frivolous"? The town denied me information I was entitled too. You may lay down and take injustice but I do not.
Hey anonymous, hire a local lawyer and there would not be high transportation costs. Maybe the Town of Lisbon withheld information to drum up fees for their lawyer. Thanks Larry for "always questioning authority."
Amazing that Mr. Larry Fillmore can go through the 2014 town budget and find excessive spending and come up with cost savings to the town and taxpayers.
Not even one of the 7 member Finance Committee has suggested even one cost savings to the town council.
Keep in mind that all Finance Committee members were APPOINTED by the town council, and all but two are former members of the town council.
Sounds like someone is not doing their job.
The Finance Committee is too busy trying to find a way to purchase the grey elephant across the road from Ferns new shop instead of doing their duty.
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