HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!

 

By now everyone has received the information sheet published by the town pertaining to the bonds everyone will be voting on November 6, 2018.  Naturally, this information sheet was sent out after some absentee ballots were issued.  Kind of defeats the purpose, don’t you think.

 

This is yet another example of the town spending money.  They have absolutely no problems spending our tax dollars but you never see any councilor trying to save our tax dollars by reducing the town’s operating cost.

 

If one was to pay attention to documents associated with the Town Council agenda for October 16, 2018, they would have noticed that the last paragraph of the Police Department’s report states that come January 2019, the Lisbon Communication Center will no longer be performing dispatching for Durham.  If I remember correctly, that leaves only Lisbon performing dispatching for Lisbon.  This means the taxpayers have to pay for the entire Lisbon Communication Center which was budgeted for $345,246.00.

 

Several years ago, Councilors Garrison and Pesce conducted a survey and determined that by joining the Androscoggin County Dispatch, the town could save at least $200,000.00 per year.  However, the Town Council voted 4-3 not to join Androscoggin County Dispatch and again the following year the Town Council voted 4-3 not to join Androscoggin County Dispatch. 

 

The reason provided was that the Town Council did not want to give up control to Androscoggin County Dispatch.  This effort both times was spearheaded by Fern LaRochelle who neglected to inform everyone that he was and is a subcontractor of the town who works directly with the Lisbon Communication Center.  In my eyes, this was then and still is a conflict of interest that he should have revealed at the time.  Now that he is once again a Councilor, he should recuse himself from any vote on this issue, if it ever came up again.

 

This is an excellent way for the town to save at least $200,000.00 tax dollars and no one is willing to look into saving taxpayers any money, just spending.  It has been proven that letting Androscoggin County Dispatch perform our 911 calls if a much more efficient and at a cost savings to taxpayers.

 

I can almost guarantee you that this will never happen because it makes sense and it is the right thing to do.  No one, from the Town Manager or the Town Council wants to do away with Chief David Brooks’ legacy.  This has nothing to do with logic; it is strictly a political decision.  Well, political decisions do not pay the bills or provide for taxpayers’ family. 

 

So tell me again, why is our Councilors NOT looking for way to save our money?

 

Larry Fillmore