WELCOME TO THE LISBON REPORTER. In an effort to keep our community informed of what is going on at local and Federal levels of government, we decided to create this on-line newspaper. It is our hope that this on-line newspaper will help you stay informed so that you can get involved and take action for the benefit of our ENTIRE community. Thank you for visiting and please check back frequently for information about what is happening in LISBON/LISBON FALLS, MAINE USA
Friday, August 17, 2018
DIG DEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHO’S IN CHARGE????
I just
reviewed the latest Town Council video and was amazed. The video reflects that the Town Manager, Diane Barnes,
ONLY feeds the Town Council information she wants them to know instead of
presenting ALL the facts. The
Town Council can never reach a sound decision unless they have all the
information available on any subject matter.
I will explain:
2018-152
Asset Forfeiture Funds – This item
was on the agenda because during the budget prepared by Diane Barnes; she
conned the Town Council into using taxpayer dollars from the Unassigned Fund
Balance instead of using Asset Forfeiture funds available in the Police
Department. According to the
Recommendations, prepared by the Town Manager, Diane Bares, it says and I
quote: “Staff did not recommend the use of forfeiture funds since there is
uncertainty in replenishing these funds now and in the future. These assets have been used for matching
grant funds for law enforcement equipment.”
The last time I
checked, the people elected members of the Town Council to represent them when
it comes to spending their money, not Diane Barnes or her staff.
The option of using the forfeiture funds should have been presented, at
the time of the budget discuss, for the Town Council to decide which way they
wanted to go but instead this information was withheld from the Town
Council. There is $6,786.04 in Federal
funds and $13,972.30 in State funds available to be used for the purchase of
the firearms at $7,800.00. The Town Council reversed their decision
and is now using the forfeiture funds instead of the Unassigned Fund
Balance. This is the right choice, as
far as I am concerned.
This is a prime example
of how the Town Manager, Diane Barnes, manipulates information she presents to
the Town Council to get her way. At first, I blamed the
Town Council for making, what I considered poor decisions, but when I started
looking into it, I realized they were not getting ALL the information and
therefore they could not make a logical and right decision. This has happened a lot and really needs to
stop.
I thank the Town Council and
especially Councilor Allen Ward, for getting this on the agenda and correcting
this situation. Taxpayers are paying much more in taxes than
they should and the Town Council must start looking for ways to cut spending.
Thank you Councilor Ward.
Larry FillmoreThursday, August 16, 2018
LISBON Nomination Papers Circulating
Nomination Papers Circulating
For Nov 6, 2018 Election Day
2018 Papers Out:
Town Council-At Large: Normand Roland Albert, Jr., 2 Cynthia Drive, Lisbon Falls
Town Council-District 1: Kasie Lyn Kolbe, 32 Moody Road, Lisbon
Town Council-District 2: Allen Scott Ward, 17 Plummer Street, Lisbon Falls
School Committee-At Large:
Town Council-At Large: Normand Roland Albert, Jr., 2 Cynthia Drive, Lisbon Falls
Town Council-District 1: Kasie Lyn Kolbe, 32 Moody Road, Lisbon
Town Council-District 2: Allen Scott Ward, 17 Plummer Street, Lisbon Falls
School Committee-At Large:
- Herbert Leslie "Pete" Reed, 385 Ridge Road, Lisbon Falls
- Kimberly Ann Labbe-Poisson, 21 Cheryl Dee Ave., Lisbon Falls
- Kathi Louise Yergin, 2 Highland Ave., Lisbon Falls
SUBMITTED BY: TOWN OF LISBON
LISBON Park Street Sewer Replacement Notification
The Lisbon Sewer
Department has contracted St. Laurent and Son Excavation to complete the
sewer main replacement on Park Street with work beginning the week of
August 27 and continuing through the end of October.
Please be patient as this work can cause delays if you travel on Park Street. If possible, it is recommended that an alternate route be used for the duration of the project to avoid any delays.
If you have any questions/concerns before, during or after the project is complete, please contact the Sewer Superintendent at 353-3000 ext. 601.
Please be patient as this work can cause delays if you travel on Park Street. If possible, it is recommended that an alternate route be used for the duration of the project to avoid any delays.
If you have any questions/concerns before, during or after the project is complete, please contact the Sewer Superintendent at 353-3000 ext. 601.
SUBMITTED BY: TOWN OF LISBON
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
WAKE UP MAINERS - PART 2
As Mainers, we have a
responsibility to support our President until he does something against the
law. Mainers elect their representatives
to speak for them in Congress. One of
those individuals is Senator Angus King.
I have downloaded the last four months of his voting record and it is
below for everyone to see.
July 11 Nonbinding motion
calling for congressional approval of national security tariffs (88-11) Voted -
Yes
June 20 Rescinding previously
approved but unspent funding (48-50) Voted - No
May 23 Expanding private care
options for veterans (92-5) Voted - Yes
May 17 Nomination of Gina
Haspel to be director of the CIA (54-45) Voted - No
May 16 Reinstating net
neutrality rules (52-47) Voted - Yes
April 26 Nomination of Mike
Pompeo to be secretary of state (57-42) Voted – Yes
April 18 Repeal of guidance
to protect borrowers from discriminatory markups on auto loans Voted – No
Britt Grant to 11th
Circuit Court
Ryan Wesley to 9th
Circuit Court
Andrew Oldham to 5th
Circuit Court
Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme
Court
Mick Mulvaney to Director of
the Office of Management and Budget
Steven Mnuchin to Secretary
of the Treasury
Jeff Session to Attorney
General
Betsy DeVos to Secretary of
Education
Larry Fillmore
Concerned Mainer
Friday, August 10, 2018
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Monday, August 6, 2018
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
HOW TO LEGALLY SCREW REIDENTS OF LISBON
Mrs. Colston
This is a FOAA request.
I am looking for the money taken out of the
Undesignated Fund the last four years. Can you provide this information by years?
Thank you
2016: $10,293.47 was taken from unassigned fund balance to cover charter requirements for maintaining a reserve funded by animal control fees
2017: N/A nothing was designated
or spent from fund balance.
2018: The following amounts were designated and
spent from fund balance:
$50,000 for computer server
upgrade. $30,663 has been spent to date.
$20,000 has been designated for
Generator pad and infrastructure
$30,000 was designated for Town
clerk storage. $26,547 was spent an
the remainder put back into fund balance
$40,000 was designated and spent
for Police radio upgrades
$35,000 was designated and
spent for a Police cruiser
$75,000 was designated for the
Fire Department Capital Improvements
$300,000 was designated for
public works trucks. $275,445 was spent
and the remainder put back into fund balance
$20,000 was designated and
spent for Recreation Department
playground
$25,000 was designated for new
flooring in various town buildings. The
money was not required and was put back into
fund balance.
2019: The following amounts have been designated for
use during the upcoming year:
$26,125 for an error in 2018
Technology budget
$50,000 to establish an accrued
leave payout reserve
$10,000 for Book restorations
in the clerks office
$7,800 for Police Department
firearms upgrades
$50,000 for the Fire Department
various equipment upgrades
$8,000 for carpeting in the
Library
$323,274 to pay off outstanding
debt service.
WHY ARE WE PAYING SUCH HIGH TAXES?
The
taxpayers in Lisbon have had their taxes raised for the last four years and
will probably experience an increase in taxes every year from here on out. This
trend must stop if the taxpayers of Lisbon are going to stay out of bankruptcy. We have been over taxed for the last four years and I will
explain it to you.
Take a look
at the carry forward for this year and it is the same for the last four years:
I did not
total all of the funds here but as you can see it is a large amount of your tax dollars. So where did all this money come from and why
is it being carried forward? Was this money
left over from previous year budget; if so, someone needs to explain why our
taxes were raised if the town did not need our money? Personally, I
would have been happy to keep my own money.
Now, let’s
take a look at the Undesignated Fund expenditures for the last four years:
As you can see, the town spent a lot of money from the Undesignated Fund. Look at it by years:
2016 $10,293.47
2017 None
(Which I do not believe)
2018
$595,000.00
2019
$475,199.00
Well, how did the town get so much
money in the Undesignated Fund? Apparently, the tooth fairy blessed Lisbon. I have a
better answer and that is the Town Manager, Diane Barnes has been padding her
budget without the knowledge of the Town Council. The Town Council has been supporting the Town Manager instead
of supporting us, the taxpayers.
This is really ridiculous to have so much money left over every year and
have so much money in the Undesignated Fund.
This is our tax dollars at work.
This
explains the high taxes and where our tax dollars are going. We need to tell the Town Manager, Diane
Barnes, that we will not put up with this from now on. The
Town Council has to start making the Town Manager accountable for her actions. I realize that she works for the Town Council
and not the citizens of Lisbon; so it is the Town Council responsibility to see
that this never happens again. Having over a
half million dollars every year is ripping the taxpayers off every year.
It is time to hold both the Town
Council and the Town Manager accountable for the way they spend our tax
dollars.
Larry Fillmore
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