REVIEW OF BUDGET WORKSHOP

On Tuesday March 27 I attended the marathon town budget workshop.

I was the only member of the public that attended.

 

Prior to said meeting I printed the new budget so I could follow along.

 

I strongly suggest that each and every member of the community and taxpayer

obtain a copy of said budget and read it.

 

At the budget meeting I asked about the part time person in the Assessing

department, and the salary for the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

 

I was told that various towns in Maine, similar in population were called and that

some of those town had part time and some had full time assistants, and that was

the salary paid to heads of Waste Water Plants.

 

I always assumed that each and every town and city, not only in Maine but across

the country was different and unique.

It would seem that I am wrong.

 

It would seem, according to Town Manager Diane Barns, that that salaries of

department heads in the town of Lisbon need to compare to each and every

town of equal population in the Great State of Maine, no matter how many and

types of businesses or industry, income of residents and tax payers; if homes

and businesses compare in value.

 

As I said, each and every town and community is unique, we and not them.

 

                                "WE ARE LISBON" 

  

Note: read and pay attention to the articles Larry Fillmore has witten in the Lisbon Reporter

on the Town Budget. Be informed.

 

Note: We, the citizens of Lisbon, can vote on the school budget, but cannot vote on the town budget.

We have to rely on the common sense, or lack of, of members of our town Council.

 

SUBMITTED BY:  DOT FITZGERALD

                             CONCERNED CITIZEN

 

 

WHEN DOES COMMON SENSE COME IN???

 

I would like to know “When Common Sense is applied to the proposed budget?”  I am just am country boy from Freeport, Maine but I have handled many many budgets in my career.  The basic principle of budgeting is that you cannot spend more than you make.  You see this basic principle applied daily in every household budget in the world with the exception of Lisbon, Maine.

 

The Town Manager and the Town Council must believe that the citizens of Lisbon have very deep pockets and can come up with any amount of money.  This is the reason that our taxes go up every year.  Let’s take a look at the Department Heads salaries:

 

DEPT HEAD                          2018 Salary             2019 Proposed      Difference

Town Manager                   $95,047.00              $96,482.00              $1,435.00

Assessing Director                58,565.00                59,452.00                    887.00

Code Enforcement               73,090.00                77,777.00                 4,687.00

Finance Director                   75,394.00                77,228.00                 1,834.00

Town Clerk Director            54,217.00                56,560.00                 2,343.00

Chief of Police                       76,130.00                77,270.00                 1,140.00

Fire Chief                                69,797.00                75,005.00                 5,208.00

EMS Director                           1,523.00                   1,546.00                        23.00

Public Works Director        42,246.00                75,005.00              32,759.00

Solid Waste  Director          21,123.00                          0.00              -21,123.00

Recreation Director             61,014.00                61,922.00                     908.00

Library Director                    51,788.00                54,089.00                  2,301.00

General Assistance Dir        10,353.00                10,508.00                     155.00

Economic Director               53,878.00                57,276.00                  3,398.00

Treatment Plant Dir             21,123.00                82,717.00                61,594.00

                                                                                                TOTAL           $97,549.00

 

This is all part of the $1,900,000.00 increase in this year’s budget over last years.  This will raise the current mil rate by 4.36 mils.  I believe last year’s mil rate is 23.2 which mean that this years’ mil rate will be 27.56.  There is no telling how much your taxes will go up.

 

These salaries are supposedly compared to town with the same size populations as Lisbon.  This is not based on the Revenues of these towns so you are comparing apples to oranges.  Lisbon is basically a retirement (bedroom) community where in Skowhegan has many more businesses that generate revenue for the community.  Remember Revenues must exceed or equal Expenditures.  In Lisbon, the expenditures (money paid out) exceed our Revenue (money coming in) and so the town has to get more money from the people in taxes to offset this loss.  The proper way to correct this problem is to reduce your expenditures until it equals your Revenue.

 

The Town Manager and the Town Council had rather raise taxes than to reduce expenditures.  A prime example is the Lisbon Communication Center, which is nothing more than a message center, which passes information from the Androscoggin County Dispatch to our First Responders, at a cost to the town of $345,246.00 this year.  By eliminating the middle man by having Androscoggin County Dispatch contacting our First Responder directly, there is a cost saving to the town of approximately $200,000.00 annually.  This clearly demonstrates an unwillingness to reduce expenditures.  It is easily for the town to raise taxes on its people rather than cut spending.

 

The Town Council voted to cover the failing Lisbon Emergency Service, Inc. at an additional cost to the taxpayer of $127,885.00 this year.  I support this investment in our community but the Town Council and the Town Manager need to reduce the operating cost of this town (Spending) and so far they are NOT willing to do this.

 

Basic principle, Revenues (money coming in) must match the Expenditures (money going out) or eventually you go bankrupt.  The Town Manager and the Town Council are irresponsible when it comes to looking out for the people’s tax dollars in my eyes.

 

Call your Councilors and discuss this issue with them if you care about your taxes.

 

Larry Fillmore

 

WHO IS LOOKING OUT FOR THE PEOPLE????

I have been reviewing the proposed 2018-2019 Municipal budget, which currently has a $1,900,000.00 increase over last year’s budget.  I am going to show some outstanding differences. 

 

Let’s start with the biggest irresponsible act of all.  It is a pay increase for all employees disguised as Cost-of-Living-Allowance (COLA).  All town employees, regardless of their position, have been receiving this for the past eight-ten years.  This year is no exception.  COLA was created by the Federal government to off-set inflation but is used to ensure ALL employees receive a wage increase EVERY year regardless of the economy.

 

DEPT HEAD                          2018 Salary             2019 Proposed      Difference

Town Manager                   $95,047.00              $96,482.00              $1,435.00

Assessing Director                58,565.00                59,452.00                    887.00

Code Enforcement               73,090.00                77,777.00                 4,687.00

Finance Director                   75,394.00                77,228.00                 1,834.00

Town Clerk Director            54,217.00                56,560.00                 2,343.00

Chief of Police                       76,130.00               77,270.00                 1,140.00

Fire Chief                                69,797.00                75,005.00                 5,208.00

EMS Director                           1,523.00                   1,546.00                        23.00

Public Works Director        42,246.00               75,005.00              32,759.00

Solid Waste  Director          21,123.00                          0.00              -21,123.00

Recreation Director             61,014.00                61,922.00                     908.00

Library Director                    51,788.00                54,089.00                  2,301.00

General Assistance Dir       10,353.00                10,508.00                     155.00

Economic Director               53,878.00                57,276.00                  3,398.00

Treatment Plant Dir            21,123.00                82,717.00                61,594.00

                                                                                                TOTAL           $97,549.00

 

Ryan Leighton

Public Works Director      $42,246.00

Solid Waste Director          21,123.00

Treatment Plant Director  21,123.00

                        TOTAL          $84,492.00  in 2018

(Not bad for an individual with no qualification for any position)

 

Now, I dare anyone to show me an equal means to justify the difference in salaries.  These salaries were determined by the Town Manager, Diane Barnes and I cannot understand how they were determined, maybe by favoritism. 

 

The total increase, for just the Department Heads, is $97,549.00 by my calculator.  I believe that there are approximately 100 town employees and this is just 15 employees.  So what is this COLA increase going to total for the other 85 employees?

 

I can never remember getting a $1,400.00 dollars pay increase every year and I worked for forty years.  Can any of you citizens remember when you did?  This is not only wrong but totally irresponsible on the part of the Town Manager and the Town Council as a whole.  We, the people, hired or elected these individuals to represent our best interest and as far as I am concerned they failed measurable.  

 

I will be reporting on numerous other problems with this proposed budget but I know that it will not make a difference to either the Town Manager or the Town Council.

 

 I hope, the people, remember these discrepancies in November.

 

Larry Fillmore

 

 

 

 

 

WHY??????????????????

 

When Mrs. Diane Barnes, Town Manager, first came to Lisbon and the people had an opportunity to meet her; I was very impressed with Mrs. Barnes.  I thought she would be a good fit for the town and with her financial background would help taxpayers.  Since that time, I have seen firsthand that this was all a front.

 

Since, she has been our Town Manager; her budget has increased taxes every year.  Mrs. Barnes has made absolutely no attempt to reduce the municipal budget; in fact, she has included a Cost-of-Living-Allowance (COLA) every year she has been here.  The Federal government uses COLA to offset inflation but in Lisbon it is used to grant pay raises to ALL town employees.  How does a person being paid over $90,000.00 a year needs an increase of 2% ($1,800.00) every year disguised as COLA?

 

Now, the Town Manager is trying to replace the Public Works Director previously held by Ryan Leighton.  This is a total waste of our tax dollars.  Mr. Elwood “Button” Beal, who is still working for Public Works, was the director before Ryan Leighton and had an outstanding record.  I remember when “Button” was the director of Public Works and there were nowhere near the problems we are experiencing today.   Given “Button’s” track record, why is the Town Manager advertising for a Public Works Director?  This is a total waste of our tax dollars and members of the Town Council should put a stop to this.

 

I noticed that there is NO advertising for a Superintendent of Sewer which Ryan Leighton was being paid for when he was never qualified for the position.  The Sewer Department has Mr. Stephen Aievoli as the Operations Manager and the State of Maine has accepted his reports as far as the Environmental Protection Agency needs.

 

Mr. Marcel Obie has been operating the Transfer Station since Mr. Wayne Ricker retired.  I believe that most residents of Lisbon would agree that Marcel has been doing an outstanding job and should continue as the Manager.  This is another position Ryan Leighton claimed in his over $80,000.00 dollar salary annually. 

 

The Town Manager needs to stop wasting taxpayers’ dollars and concentrate on reducing the operating cost of the town.  This year’s budget, which is $1.9 MILLION more than the current budget, also included a COLA increase which will put the cost of wages and benefits at 49.6% of the entire municipal budget.  Mrs. Barnes needs to put a stop to wasting tax dollars.

 

Larry Fillmore

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Council Meeting

Budget Workshop

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES

Council Meeting

Minutes of Meeting

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

LISBON ROADS AND STREETS

LISBON ROADS AND STREETS

 

This year has been extremely hard on our roads and streets.  There are potholes everywhere making it difficult to drive.  I do understand that it is still winter and hard for Public Works to repair our road and streets.  However, nothing is stopping Public Works from marking these potholes to alert drivers of the hazard.

 

However, the question is “Is Public Works under Ryan Leighton doing all that they can for the residents of Lisbon?”  I answer that question with a resounding “NO”.  I remember years ago before Ryan Leighton being Public Works Director; a gentleman name Button Beale was the Public Works Director and we never had any of the problems we have been having lately.

 

Putting Ryan Leighton as the Public Works Director, Superintendent of Sewer, and in charge of the Transfer Station was a temporary fix because the State of Maine finally stepped in and told the town that Ryan Leighton was NOT qualified as a Maine Licensed Engineer.  Ryan Leighton had been getting paid as a fully qualified licensed engineer.  The town of Lisbon had been wasting our tax dollars on unqualified personnel being in positions where they needed to be qualified.  The “condition of employment agreement” was written so that the individuals never had to complete the qualifications for the position.  

 

Now Ryan Leighton is moving on and as far as I am concerned not fast enough; we have qualified individuals’ current in place to perform the various duties and in fact most cases have been doing the work but Ryan Leighton has been taking the credit.  The town has been paying a Ryan Leighton close to $90,000.00 tax dollars when it was not necessary.  I hope the Town Council is smart enough to restore the individuals who are actually doing the work back in supervisory positions and NOT try to replace Ryan Leighton.  How can you replace nothing?

 

Let’s learn to save tax dollars by putting ONLY qualified individuals in the required positions and if they want to do a “condition of employment agreement” makes it very clear the desired outcome and a timeline in order to complete the qualifications.  By the way, they should be hired a lower salary until they become fully qualified.

 

STOP WASTING OUR TAX DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Larry Fillmore

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA & DOCUMENTS

Council Meeting Agenda & Documents

March 20, 2018

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Council Meeting

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL MEETING CANCELLED

NOTICE: Council Workshop March 13 Cancelled due to the storm

School Budget Presentation

Tormorrow night's Council Workshop for March 13 has been cancelled.  It has been rescheduled to March 21 at 7:00 PM.   

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

LISBON PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Public Hearing Notice

AMend Chapter 46 Streets, Sidewalks, & Other Public Places, Art I-In General And to Amend Chapter 34 Sewer Ordinance

Notice is hereby given that the Lisbon Town Council intends to hold a public hearing on March 20, 2018 at 7:00 PM in the Town Office Public Meeting Room to hear comments on an amendment to Chapter 46, Streets, Sidewalks, and Other public places, Article 1 In General and to amend Chapter 34 Sewer Ordinance.  Copies are available at the Town Clerk's Office and on this website.  The public is invited to attend.
Twila Lycette, Lisbon Town Clerk

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES

Approximately three weeks ago, I could not find the Town Council agenda for the following Tuesday’s meeting.  I called the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, and asked her for the location.  She informed me that the Town had changed the location on the Town website.  I asked her why the website was only partly changed and she informed me that it was because a contract stopped and that the person who was responsible for the website was on vacation that week.

 

This just highlight the Administration of the Town of Lisbon is in serious trouble.  In my eyes the first rule of operating a website is to make it accessible for its users.  I believe in the KISS theory.  Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS).  A website should always be designed with the Users in mind because it is for their use.  The Town website is not User friendly; in fact, it is totally confusion by having redundant ways to locate certain items.  I was always taught that redundancy is for saving/backing up data which is NOT the responsibility of the User. 

 

Simple ways to locate items eliminate confusion for the Users.  Users should be the primary focus when designing a website.  Right now, on the Town website there are at least two different paths to take to locate the Town Council agendas.  It is much easier to maintain and for the Users when there is one path to locate the Town Council agendas.  Also, if you follow the path of Town Council – Council Agenda & Minutes – Current Tuesday Agenda – Town Council – Agenda it takes you to the current Town Council agenda.  There is absolutely no need for the last two screens because the Town Council agenda should come up when you click on Current Tuesday Agenda.  The User should never have to go beyond that screen.  The current system is a waste of time and money to maintain and confuses Users.

 

Now if you go Minute and Agendas – Town Council – 2018 – Select the Town Council Agenda you are looking for.  This is less friendly to Users.  The Administration staff of the Town has absolutely no concept of what they are doing, in my eyes.  First of all, according to Mrs. Barnes there is only one individual that can make changes to the website.  I do not believe that I have to explain why this is not acceptable.  Because there are unnecessary screens that Users have to go through and the fact there are two different paths is a clear indication that very little planning when into the design of the website.  Clearly there is no oversight of this project.

 

Next, why was the changes implemented without making ALL the necessary changes to the website?  This is another indication of little to no oversight.  The Town Manager works for the Town Council who works for the people; so I ask again where is the oversight.  The Town Council needs to look into the Town website since they are overall responsible.  There needs to cross-training so that the town does not have to rely on just one individuals to maintain the website.

 

The residents of Lisbon deserve better.

 

Larry Fillmore

LISBON TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

Town Council Meeting

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA -FEBRUARY 20, 2018

WHERE IS THE MONEY?????????????

After review Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, I am wondering where the Town Council is going to find $127,884.46 for next year to bailout Lisbon Emergency, Inc.  The Town Council vote 6-0 to supplement the failing Lisbon Emergency, Inc. with taxpayer dollars.

It is truly amazing how easily the Town Council votes to appropriate $127,884.46 of our tax dollars without a bat of the eye.  The Town Council DID NOT look for all the alternatives available before coming to this decision.  A suggestion was made to have the Town contract the hospitals DIRECTly showing them the impact of losing Lisbon Emergency would have on the community.  The Town Council did not even look into this option.

This is a lot like when the Town Council had an opportunity to save the taxpayers roughly $200,000.00 of tax dollars by closing the Lisbon Communication Center.  So every year, taxpayers are paying roughly $200,000.00 tax dollars for keeping the Lisbon Communication Center open instead of letting Androscoggin Country Dispatch perform the same task.  Androscoggin Country Dispatch has the personnel to assign an Emergency Medical Code (EMC) telling Emergency Medical Technicians/Paramedics the situation before they arrive.  This ensures the EMT/Paramedics have everything they need to respond improving the chances of survival.

The members of the Town Council that approved spending our tax dollars when they did not have too were:   Allen Ward, Dale Crafts, Chris Brunelle and Norman Albert.  Dale Craft is no longer on the Town Council but Fern LaRochelle, who lobbied for keeping the Lisbon Communication Center open has taken his place.  However, Mr. LaRochelle should not be able to vote because he is a sub-contractor of the town directly working with the Lisbon Communication Center.  I do realize that in the Town of Lisbon there is no such thing as a “conflict of interest” so the taxpayers will continue to pay roughly $200,000.00 tax dollars when they do not have too.

So when you waste roughly $200,000.00 tax dollars and you add $127,884.46 for next year; how will this impact your taxes?

Larry Fillmore

Town Council Workshop - February 13, 2018

 

Workshop - Sewer Ordinance & MS4 Discussion

February 13, 2018 at 6:00 PM

 

SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON

 

LISBON EMERGENCY, INC

 

On the Town Council agenda for Tuesday night is the Lisbon Emergency – Level Service/Funding.  The Town Council appointed Councilors Norm Albert and Mark Lunt to form a sub-committee to evaluate ALL options pertaining to Lisbon Emergency, Inc.

 

This sub-committee has met several times and the Town sent out a Request for Procurement (RFP).  However, this was only one option reviewed.  Other options were to supplement the failing Lisbon Emergency, Inc. with taxpayer’s dollars in the amounts below:

 

FY                      TOTAL CHARGES                LISBON SHARE       BOWDOIN SHARE

2018-2019        $162,152.78                       $127,884.46           $34,267.92

2019-2020        $187,762.90                        $149,172.84           $39,590.06

2020-2021         $251,354.03                        $199,245.74          $52,108.29

 

Other options presented was has Lisbon Fire Department take over this responsibility and not doing anything.

 

However, the sub-committee had another suggestion to review and ignored it completely.  The option was to ask the two hospital’s (St Mary and CMMC), who own United Ambulance, for assistance.  The option was for the TOWN to DIRECTLY communicate with the hospitals and this was ignored.  I do not understand how the Town Council can consider this agenda item without first having ALL options evaluated before a vote.

 

I also do not understand why this situation has NOT been brought to the attention of the people of Lisbon.  A situation this serious should have the input of all citizens and NOT just at a Public Hearing.  The Public Hearing will be the first time the people have been notified.  There are no videos of the sub-committee meetings so the people have no clue what is going on.  This is typical for the Town of Lisbon; asking the people to speak on issues without knowing all the fact first.  This is the method used to reduce town involvement by the people and to ensure the town gets the results they want.

 

At no time has anyone mentioned how they plan to pay to supplement Lisbon Emergency, Inc. 

 

Larry Fillmore

TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA - FEBRUARY 6, 2018

Public Meeting Notice

 

Lisbon Emergency - Level of Service and Funding Discussion

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SUBMITTED BY:  TOWN OF LISBON