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We feel the need to let our readers know the truth regarding the recent Ethics Committee decision regarding Councilor Mike Bowie's conflict of interest. The article published in Thursday's Sun Journal titled Lisbon Government at a Glance is incorrect. We waited until today to see if they would correct the error, but they haven't. It seems they write with only a "glance" at the facts.
Poor Ms. Footman isn't to blame, as she doesn't even attend the meetings. The Lisbon Town Office provides her with a carefully written and screened report for her to print, so how would she know what was said. The following statement does not fully depict what the Ethics Panel's finding was: "The panel found "no improprieties in the past" and noted that Bowie had informed fellow members of the relationship and not voted on the salary line in the budget." Mike Bowie did vote on the current budget. Yes, these items were discussed BRIEFLY in the last T/C meeting and certainly not the ONLY items discussed. There was more important information discussed that was not published in the Sun Journal.
As we stated in T/C recap, "the Ethics Panel did in fact find there was conflict of interest" and recommended Councilor Bowie NOT vote on the Line 100 (Police Salaries) because his wife is Chief Brooks' secretary. The Ethics Panel reported that due to the lengthy budget process last year, the budget was not voted on line by line item but by one vote on the whole budget hence the conflict of interest. Councilor Bowie announced that they will be voting on a line item budget this year.
If Councilor Cote had not requested an immediate vote to accept the recommendations of the Ethics Panel by the council, it posed the aspect of the council continuing their "ill advised" antics of doing what they want. The Ethics Panel's work and professionalism would have all been for naught.
Please get involved with your community. There are openings on many town committees. Volunteer for one of these committees and see first hand for yourselves. With the budget season already here, now is the time for all interested parties to take action.
With what you read coming out of Chief Brook's office, it is getting hard to dissect the truths vs. the false. What do we really need such a large police budget for? If they are having a hard time sorting through the facts about cases before jumping into public forums with, at best, non-factual information, why do we as taxpaying citizens have to continue to fund such a lavish department. Friday's SunJournal article about the recent local arrest is here.
And do all these "grants" for funding really help us or do they cost us more? Some community leaders across this state choose not to take these grants because when they do the math the grants actually cost the community more than they are worth. One good thing, I bet our detectives looked good riding around in the new cars we all paid for, on top of their large budget increase from last year when all other departments had to take a mandatory 5% cut.
Get involved, ask questions. Now is the time, because when you get this years' tax bill, the answers will be hidden and harder to acquire by then.
Poor Ms. Footman isn't to blame, as she doesn't even attend the meetings. The Lisbon Town Office provides her with a carefully written and screened report for her to print, so how would she know what was said. The following statement does not fully depict what the Ethics Panel's finding was: "The panel found "no improprieties in the past" and noted that Bowie had informed fellow members of the relationship and not voted on the salary line in the budget." Mike Bowie did vote on the current budget. Yes, these items were discussed BRIEFLY in the last T/C meeting and certainly not the ONLY items discussed. There was more important information discussed that was not published in the Sun Journal.
As we stated in T/C recap, "the Ethics Panel did in fact find there was conflict of interest" and recommended Councilor Bowie NOT vote on the Line 100 (Police Salaries) because his wife is Chief Brooks' secretary. The Ethics Panel reported that due to the lengthy budget process last year, the budget was not voted on line by line item but by one vote on the whole budget hence the conflict of interest. Councilor Bowie announced that they will be voting on a line item budget this year.
If Councilor Cote had not requested an immediate vote to accept the recommendations of the Ethics Panel by the council, it posed the aspect of the council continuing their "ill advised" antics of doing what they want. The Ethics Panel's work and professionalism would have all been for naught.
Please get involved with your community. There are openings on many town committees. Volunteer for one of these committees and see first hand for yourselves. With the budget season already here, now is the time for all interested parties to take action.
With what you read coming out of Chief Brook's office, it is getting hard to dissect the truths vs. the false. What do we really need such a large police budget for? If they are having a hard time sorting through the facts about cases before jumping into public forums with, at best, non-factual information, why do we as taxpaying citizens have to continue to fund such a lavish department. Friday's SunJournal article about the recent local arrest is here.
And do all these "grants" for funding really help us or do they cost us more? Some community leaders across this state choose not to take these grants because when they do the math the grants actually cost the community more than they are worth. One good thing, I bet our detectives looked good riding around in the new cars we all paid for, on top of their large budget increase from last year when all other departments had to take a mandatory 5% cut.
Get involved, ask questions. Now is the time, because when you get this years' tax bill, the answers will be hidden and harder to acquire by then.
