THE PEOPLES' PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS LOST FOREVER!

The Town of Lisbon began to lose our freedom of speech began with former Councilors Lori Pomelow and Michael Bowie.  When these two changed the Council Working Rules prohibiting the people from speaking on agenda items after the sponsor explains the reason for the change.  Asking the people to address agenda items before understanding why they are changing something; is totally ridiculous.  This was the beginning of the end.

The Council placed a non-binding referendum question on a ballot.  The understanding was the Council would comply with the wishes of the people. The people voted over 2,000 to over 500 in favor of voting on the Municipal budget.  To this date, the people cannot vote on the Municipal budget.

In accordance with the law, the Town Council provides Public Hearings on various items to include the School and Municipal budgets.  The residents show up and voice their opinions and the Town Council totally ignores them and does whatever they want.   

In the past three years, the people have had issues with these budgets and every time they are ignored.  The law requires the Council to hold Public Hearings for the purpose of allowing the people to speak but nowhere in the law does it say the Council has to comply with the wishes of the people.

During Audience Participation of every Town Council meeting, residents express their opinions on agenda and non-agenda items.  But once again, they are totally ignored by the Council.

The Town Council says that the Charter is there for the people to utilize when they have an issue such as the Council changing the bottom line of the School Department budget.  However, as demonstrated recently no matter what the peoples’ wishes are, the Council will find a way to harass or punish the people for challenging the Council’s authority.  718 signatures were gathered in less than 48 hours is a clear indication of the desires of the people and yet this action was thrown out on a play on words. 

It is very apparent that the voice of the people is a waste of time because the Town Council does what it wants at any cost.  We are at the mercy of the Town Council and the only relief is to vote them out in November and hope and pray to get a new set of Councilors that will listen to the people.

Larry Fillmore