An Advisory Board Member's Perspective

By L Pomelow (Presented at the last Town Council Meeting)

My comments are being made as follow up to the Town Council Meeting of July 1st and related to some previous matters involving the Advisory Board.

When I was elected approximately 4 years ago to the Advisory Board, I had little knowledge of the responsibilities of the position, yet made a commitment to the town and to myself, I would learn and serve to the best of my ability. My commitment has been with hard work and dedication.

Those who know me; know I am not one to half perform a job whether in my personal or professional life. Therefore, the Town should receive nothing less from me.

I would like to reiterate that leading up to the last meeting, the Budget Advisory Board had not received the information for the requested transfers in order to review it in a timely manner.

The paperwork was not mailed to any Board Member, nor delivered to us as indicated. I personally picked it up here at the Town Office on the morning of Friday, June 27th, which was per the instructions in an e-mail received from the Town Manager’s office.

The Board members, due to the late receipt of this paper work, were unable to meet and review the requested transfers. This is one of many times this has occurred.

We were asked to vote on transfers without having had the opportunity to ask questions and to have explanations prior. This is an unfair expectation.

I contend we would be remiss of our duties to the public to half-heartedly and without proper knowledge vote on transfers which we are not fully informed.

These expenditure reports were printed at 11:35 am two days prior yet were not made available to us then. There is no good reason these reports and the ones of the past have not been made available to our members in a timelier manner. At least we would have the opportunity to meet and discuss these matters thus rendering us more knowledgeable.

The Budget Advisory Board has been treated this way for a long time by the School Board and the Council. This is insulting to my intelligence, my efforts and the integrity of the Board.

Last year the budget process for the Advisory Board was less than desirable. We made it through the process with promises the new “Town Council” would become more familiar with their roles and responsibilities and would affect a positive change.

The Advisory Board was asked to come together several times for budget review, workshops with the Council and to review both the Municipal and the School Board’s budget earlier this year.

There were times we were provided very short notice of these meetings and times when we were not presented with the budget information prior to the meetings.

In fact, we had been brought together a couple of times by the Council to be sent away as “the information we requested and the numbers to be reviewed were not ready for us.”

The Council has stated, “Moving forward all Department Heads and the School Board would be held accountable and responsible for their budgets they prepare and present for approval.”

I took this to mean the Town Council and the Advisory Board would work collaboratively in review of these budgets to represent the interest of the Town of Lisbon. In the end, the Council would hold accountable the Dept Heads (Town Manager) when there were “over run” budgets. Not only at the time to transfer monies, but prior to this time based upon a periodic review of the YTD expenditures in these line items.

I promise not to go into a personnel issue, but specifically remember asking about and being told, in the past, there hadn’t been accountability with department heads and the budgets, but this new Council was moving into the future with this on their radar screen.

I am wondering where the accountability is now, over a year after being told it would be implemented.

My statements are evidenced by some of the recent transfers approved by this Council.

To say the money is already spent is not as acceptable to some of us, as it appears it is to others.

There are some unforeseen costs and that is expected, yet other costs are predicted. All Dept Heads should be held strictly accountable for the maintenance of an “in line budget.”

This is what is rather disheartening to other Advisory Board members and to me.

We together are charged with making sure this community remains fiscally responsible. We must take care of our own. Tough economic times are here and are going to get worse. I am very concerned people are making decisions and allowing complacency which could lead to negative outcomes that we should not have to face.

We can’t run our household budgets into the negative. I cannot run my employer’s budget “in the red” and do so without consequences.

We have to learn to live with making adjustments and quite frankly living without some things in order to be fiscally responsible. We have to make painful decisions to do without some things or with lesser of the things we want.

It is my intent to share my displeasure of some of the actions which have occurred coupled with giving recognition where it is due. There are good things which have resulted of this new Council, yet they will be diluted by inconsistencies and the lack of accountability.

The exchange of words amongst councilors in the previous meetings is counter-productive to the outcomes this community is looking for. These are some examples of the instances which will cloud the good to be attained.

While I am not interested in re-hashing the previous comments; kudos goes to those of you who dare to speak out on behalf people of our town.

People want to hear and be heard when it comes to matters in our town. They want this to happen openly and honestly. It appears the Councilors’ are not all on the same page at times with this concept.

There is much grumbling in the community regarding this matter. When people feel the inability to ask questions and say what they want, they will fill in the blanks with what they want the answers to be OR with what they think they know. We all know this leads to massive issues of gossip, rumor and negative publicity. People do have a right to know.

The lack of answers makes people feel like there is a “cover up going on.”

Being in business myself, I understand there are times when answers cannot be provided. May I suggest the Council say this, yet when answers can be provided; provide them in a dignified manner which can be understood AND in a manner that is NOT condescending.

The actions in the last meeting were condescending at times. This was stated around me many times by the audience during and in the hallways after the last meeting.

It is my hope that those who have an ability to affect a positive change will do so as has been promised. This is what our community deserves and strives for, however, if we continue with the repeated “let downs” and the display witnessed by many 2 weeks ago, I am left feeling my desire may not come true.