LISBON SCHOOL COMMITTEE - 2/22/16 - PART 3

RECAP TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP – FEBRUARY 25TH

Last Thursday the Town Council held a joint workshop with the Lisbon School Board to discuss the 2014-2015 Annual Audits.  The normal audit review is done in December but since the town changed auditing firms it took longer to prepare the report.  In order to show a comparison, the firm had to collect data for several years past which took some time.

The new firm is RHR Smith & Company and a Mr. Greg Chabot went over the audits.  It was an intense review and showed, in my eyes, what I already knew.  Former Town Manager Stephen Eldridge and Former Finance Director Jessica Malloy really did a number on this town.  The significant findings were only two which can be found in the actual report on pages 78 & 79, which the audience could not keep.  According to the Town Manager, it will be posted on the town web site but it is not there now.

Mr. Chabot also provides the audience with an eight page “Management Letter” which outlined twelve (12) minor deficiencies.  This new firm did a thorough audit and the results were clearly stated.  The Town Manager, Diane Barnes and the Finance Director, Edward Karass did not dispute any of the findings.  The majority of these finds date back for year’s prior Mrs. Barnes and Mr. Karass arrival. 

It is going to take a long period of time to correct the mess created by Mr. Eldridge and Mrs. Malloy.  The Town Manager and the Finance Director have been working on these areas for some time now and will continue to eliminate these deficiencies as quickly as possible.

I believe that both the Town Council and the Lisbon School Board thought the audits were done fairly because there were few, if any, questions.  I believe Mr. Chabot did an outstanding job explaining the audits.

Larry Fillmore

 

 

 

 

LISBON FOOD DRIVE

 

Other Collection locations are at the Town Office and Rogers Insurance.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:  LET'S EVERYONE GET BEHIND THIS WORTH WHILE CAUSE!!!

LISBON SCHOOL COMMITTEE - FEBRUARY 1, 2016

Agenda for February 25, 2016

EDITOR'S NOTE:  START TIME IS CHANGED TO 05:30 PM!

 

Lisbon School Committee January 25 Part 1

Lisbon School Committee January 25th Part 2

Lisbon School Committee - January 25th Part 3

LISBON SCHOOL COMMITTEE - PART 1 -1-11-16

LISBON SCHOOL COMMITTEE - PART 2 - 1-11-16

ELECTION RESULTS

Town of Lisbon School Budget Validation Referendum
January 12, 2016
School Referendum Results
		Ward 1		Ward 2		Total
QUESTION 1: Adopt Lisbon School Budget
Yes		134		184		318
No		49		57		106
Blanks		0		0		0
QUESTION 2:  If you voted No, was it because the budget is:
Too Low		16		21		37
Too High		29		33		62
Blanks		4		3		7
Ballots Cast:		183		241		424

Special Town Council Meeting - December 22nd

A CITIZEN'S OPINION

Recap of Lisbon Council's Special Town Meeting ---The one you probably won't be allowed to see

    Lisbon's 12/22/15 Special Council Meeting was difficult to watch.

 This meeting wasn't a compromise between the two governing groups in Lisbon it was more like the School Committee blackmailing the Council into giving them everything they wanted or face another election that would cost Lisbon taxpayers another $3,000 dollars.

The audience (mostly the Schools "Special Interest Group) seemed to revel in a false sense of power and was heard making statements like

     "We got rid of the A_ _ _ _ _ _ this year and we will get rid of the rest of them next election."  and

      "Blackmail oh well" as if it didn't matter that the School Committee was breaking their laws and blackmailing Lisbon taxpayers.

IF the townspeople are ever allowed to view the recording of this fiasco they will see the Councilors almost begging Ms. Austin to tell them what they can do to pacify the School Committee.  At one point the Council Chair got so frustrated with  Ms. Austin's lack of compromise that he actually allowed her to make the Council's resolution.

The School Committee was so full of a sense of  entitlement that they brazenly broke one of the main laws governing their conduct.

I personally heard one of the School Committee Members stating to a gentleman in the audience that their conduct was Illegal, but that didn't stop her from going back into another illegal private caucus with her fellow Committee members.

The School Committee's only desire was to suck more and more money out of the taxpayers of Lisbon without any compassion for the elderly and less fortunate in Lisbon.

The meeting ended with the Town agreeing  to pay for a large portion of the Schools SRO officers salary.  The town doesn't have the money to do this but unlike the School they are willing to do the best they can for the good of the Town.

Some at this meeting said it didn't matter if the School broke the law as long as they got the results they wanted.  They felt  the end justified the means.  I disagree with this philosophy. I feel laws should apply to all equally. The law the School Committee broke is there for a reason and should be obeyed.

At least one good thing will come from this infraction of our laws. We will find out which of our School Committee Members has the integrity to do the right thing and RESIGN for the  good of Lisbon. 

Sadly
Joe Hill

A CITIZENS LETTER

Lisbon School Committee Willfully and Knowingly broke the Laws that Govern their Conduct

Last night Lisbon Town Council held an Emergency Council Meeting to discuss the School Budget vote scheduled in January.

At this meeting a voting majority of Lisbon's School Committee held a number of impromptu and illegal private discussions about School financial matters. This behavior is clearly a violation of the laws that govern the School Committee.

At least one of the School Committee members was heard acknowledging the illegality of these meetings before she turned around and engaged in another illegal meeting. 

This is the same committee that tried to use a false charter interpretation to justify a "Special Meeting". I guess they use the Charter when it suits their needs but disregards it when the Charter is inconvenient.

This isn't left for interpretation The School Committee clearly, willingly and knowingly disregarded the laws of Lisbon.  

How can we trust them to enforce other regulations if they can't even follow the laws themselves. 

These School Committee members should resign immediately to save Lisbon from further embarrassment.

Respectfully
Joe Hill

RECAP SPECIAL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING – DECEMBER 22TH

Last night, the Town Council held a special meeting to discuss the current School Budget Referendum.  As everyone is well aware, there have been four previous ballots and none approved the School Budget for Fiscal Year 2015-2016.

Chairman Bickford and the Town Council had a proposal that involved the School Reserve Officers (SRO) Budget.  In attendance were Chair Traci Austin and members of the Lisbon School Board to work with the Town Council to resolve this ugly situation prior to the next referendum vote on January 12, 2016.

It was not pretty and was not in accordance with Robert’s Rules but both side worked extremely hard and came to a solution that both sides could live with.  However, the agreement is only good if the Referendum passes in January.  Both sides have agreed to live by the agreement.  I commend both sides for their effort to resolve this situation.

Some are probably going to say it is blackmail and some are going to say one side or the other won but as far as I am concerned both the Town Council and the School Committee did what was needed to be done for the best interest of this community.

I commend both sides for their hard work resolving a bad situation and I for one will be voting YES in January.

Thank you all for your efforts and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

 Larry Fillmore 

LHS WOMEN'S ALUMNI GAME

Lisbon School Committee - 11/23/2015

Lisbon School Committee - 11/30/2015

Lisbon School Board 11/9/2015 Part 1

Lisbon School Board Part 2