TAX BILLS

From the chatter this weekend on Lisbon Maine Community Information website, residents of Lisbon received their new tax bills.  I found it amusing that residents were shocked their taxes had increased so much.  The Lisbon Reporter and LisbonMaine.net have been warning residents for several months prior to the Town Council approval of the budget.

 

I have been trying to educate residents of Lisbon to exactly what is going on with our local government.  It would appear that the residents were not paying attention to my efforts.  Now, it is too late and the people are upset over the tax increases.

 

In my opinion, the problem is that the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, does not work for the people of Lisbon.  She works for and answers ONLY to the Town Council.  Mrs. Barnes and her staff have duped our Town Council in order to get the Town Council to vote their way.  She and her staff leave out important details on issues.  This neglect causes our Town Council to vote in their favor.  These decisions, by the Town Council, are good decisions based on the information provided to the Council, however, if the Council was provided ALL relevant information the vote may have been completely different.  In my opinion, the Town Council has too much faith in the Town Manager.

 

It was the Town Manager who presented a proposed municipal budget to the Town Council.  This proposed budget was almost accepted in its entirety.  Neither the Town Manager nor the Town Council is looking for ways to save money.  On numerous occasions Mrs. Dorothy Fitzgerald and I have offered suggestions on ways to save roughly $300,000.00.  Now to me, this is a significant amount of tax dollars, but the Town Council dismissed these suggestions.  These suggestions when in one ear and out the other.  It is nice to be ignored when you are trying to help.

 

Residents of Lisbon need to pay more attention to what is going on at these Town Council meetings.  The best and preferred way is to attend the meetings in person.  However, you can always go to the town website and watch the meetings.  It is critical the people of Lisbon start taken a more active role in our local government.  It is too late this year but please make your feelings known to the Town Council.

 

We, the people, need to take back our town and put an immediate stop to this outrageous spending. 

 

Larry Fillmore