Overcoming and Succumbing to Constant Interference by Town Council Members

Dear Editor,

After reading the letter in the Lisbon Reporter concerning Curtis Lunt and his honesty and ability to hold taxes in line, I felt compelled to write. During the last few years of his tenure with the Town of Lisbon, he had to endure the constant interference of Michael Bowie and then Norma Wells.

Michael Bowie called and emailed Curt Lunt incessantly to try and micromanage every facet of town government. The constant interference made it very hard to run the town on a day-to-day basis when Bowie made demands via phone and email as to how HE wanted things done, including personnel issues. He (Bowie) even had the nerve to call a prospective employer of a former town employee and try to thwart that person’s new job. Fortunately, Curt Lunt came to the rescue and straightened everything out.

Curt Lunt tried to treat all employees fairly, even though Bowie continued to micromanage all personnel issues, except of course his wife, Denise Bowie, Chief Brook’s personal secretary. In fact, when Brooks was interim town manager, Mrs. Bowie helped him (Brooks) with personnel issues.

Curt Lunt tried to run the town efficiently, but became frustrated and often transferred that frustration to his employees. One wonders how Michael Bowie was able to perform his job duties when he was spending inordinate amounts of time during the day trying to control Lisbon town government. Once Norma Wells came aboard, she started to micromanage the Town finances as well even though the town auditors, Runyon, Kersteen and Ouellette, deemed Lisbon in great financial shape and said so. Wells and Bowie also tried to micromanage the former finance director and he finally retired from Lisbon, but is now employed by a larger municipality.

In conclusion, one can see how Michael Bowie needs to go, as no Ethics panel will ever be able to control his meddling, as his helpers, Chief Brooks, Mrs. Michael Bowie and Steve Eldridge will continue on as usual. Thanks for trying Curt Lunt, but you were outnumbered and outsourced. GOD HELP THE TOWN OF LISBON.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Lisbon Citizen