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At Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Superintendent Richard Green and the School Board’s integrity were challenged by a barrage of questions led by Councilor Gina Mason followed by Councilors Dillon Pesce and Roger Bickford prior to the vote on the school budget. There is a time and place for everything and just prior to the vote was not the time to play twenty questions with the Superintendent and members of the School Board. The budget process is a four or five month process and there were numerous School Board public meetings and a Councilor can contact Mr. Green at any time when they have questions or concerns. These questions should have been asked months ago but these three councilors waited until the very last minute to question the school budget. This was nothing more than a cheap shot at the School Department.
Councilor Mason went so far as to make sure that the people knew that the tax increase that is coming is a direct result of a shortfall in the school budget. What Councilor Mason failed to inform the citizens was that the Town Council's goal was to come in flat. The Town Council made absolutely no attempt to find sufficient savings to keep from having to raise taxes. According to Town Manager Eldridge, the same amount that was allocated to last year’s TIF was allocated again this year. The problem is that they over budgeted this line item approximately $100,000 tax dollars. In fact, they transferred $83,000 plus out of this line item to other places in the budget. We could save approximately $30,000 tax dollars by replacing one police cruiser/K9 unit instead of two units. The town added one additional personnel to the Communication Center in last year’s budget for approximately $40,000 and then approved two more personnel in this year’s budget for approximately $80,000 tax dollars. So let’s take a look at the possible savings here:
100,000
30,000
40,000
80,000
_______________
250,000 tax dollars.
It is amazing that this is the exact amount the School Budget is short. So had the Town Council made these additional cuts there would be no need for a tax increase this year.
I asked Mr. Eldridge if there was going to be wage increases for the town employees. His response was that this could not be discussed because negotiations were being conducted with union personnel. Someone has to explain this obvious double talk to me. What he said was nonunion personnel could receive one rate like 1%; one bargaining union could receive 2% and because another union has a better negotiator they would receive 3% wage increase. This is nothing more than a stall tactic so the people will never know how much wage increase was approved by this council. Keep in mind; this could be applied to the cost savings also.
It would appear the town has to make a decision if they want to spend tax dollars on the Police Department or the education of our children? To me, this Town Council made the wrong choice.
Last year, the amount carried forward was over a million tax dollars. We will have to see how much is carried forward this year.
Larry Fillmore
6 comments:
I was very dissapointed in Gina Mason, Dillon Pesce, and Roger Bickford at the Tuesday May 21 council meeting. The town council changed the meeting rules allowing the public to speak at the beginning of a council meeting as they did not want to be "blindsided"; asked questions they did not want, or could not, answer. And yet they blindsided Supintendent Richard Green. A credit to Mr. Green and the school committee. Mr. Green keep his cool under trying circumstances. Tracy Austin was visably upset at Mrs. Mason's attack, but quite nicely, I think, put Mrs. Mason in her place, answered her questions. Sports and extra curricular activities and are an important part of a well-rounded education. Students must maintain a passing grade to participate in any sports activity. To require parents to pay for a student to participate in a sport is discrinatory. Evidently Gina Mason does not realise that there are many low to middle-income families in Lisbon. People struggling to pay their bills and survive, that could not afford to pay for their child to play baseball, basketball, football.
Roger Bickford, Dillon Pesce and Gina Mason owe Superintendent Green and the school comittee an apology. Are they big enough to do it?
This is the same incompetence just different clowns, Bowie has taught the stick it to the citizens of Lisbon and protect the bullshit Brooks wet dream no mater the cost and the hell with the school. Brooks can't wait to arrest the kids and get them in the system a true pig threw and threw. Gina hang your head waist almost a million dollars on the comp center and criticize Rick Green, You looked like a moron.
Shameful. Disgraceful. Scandalous! We have a useless communication center. Public works cannot even keep their own road in decent condition--it is the worst one in the towns. The town’s parks are not mowed or kept up regularly. Our high school in on probation. Not for teachers, but because the building itself is horrible and for the seemingly lack of support from the town to spend OUR money on education and school infrastructure. We have a BLOATED police force with 21 police personnel and 5 in the communication center. Topsham, by comparison, (25% larger population. 30% larger area, and far more commercial/industrial coverage needed) has just 12 police personnel (Website doesn’t list dispatchers.) It seems Lisbon would rather give raises to folks that cause the problems in the first place. We buy Flags, and we are looking into "beautifying" the town to attract business. Does the term "lipstick on a pig" strike a chord with anyone? I have lived in Lisbon Falls for 15 years. I would NOT open a business here. Don't get me wrong. There are positives that Lisbon/Lisbon Falls have to offer. There ARE gems in the coal mine--almost all came about, or were in the works "B.E." (Before Eldridge) This town’s infrastructure is a miserable mess. I am not putting blame on any one single person. It is system wide, TOWN WIDE failure by either ignorance, or just not knowing (probably the latter.). Conversely, and sadly, even one of our landmarks and focal-point of our town is in disrepair and is an eyesore (Moxie Store). (Second floor boarded up. Awnings discolored and horribly frayed. Exterior paint is “bad”—to put it lightly. It is time for a reboot at the town level.
This is just an example of how outsiders see us. This is an article from the Saturday Lewiston Sun Journal. Even they realize the disgrace and misappropriations of funds. We are expanding football fields. We are buying busses for the rec department. We are having movie nights, etc. All of which I think are great, BUT not a need. A track is a community NEED. Investing in our educational infrastructure (Gym / Auditorium) is a NEED. Adding teachers is a NEED. We are a small town. We don’t need flags. We don’t need new granite post signs. And we DON’T NEED a bloated administration!
http://m.sunjournal.com/news/local-sports/2013/05/26/hot-corner-time-put-those-hounds-track/1369077
I don't know how to post on the main page so I will put my rant here. GIVE THE HOUNDS A TRACK TO RUN ON!!!!!
Dear councilor cote- YOU should talk about incompetence and clowns - and "bullshit" and "wet dreams" - you can't even spell- mater? waist? did you graduate.....from Lisbon High School? You are the biggest clown and incompetent- good riddance- hooray we voted you OUT.... ! such a thoughtful deep thinker- your little wife should be so proud of you- wet dreams and all......
This Town has deteriorated into a bed of incompetence, possible misuse of funds, a tyrannical police chief who is allowed to spend Taxpayers' money in any manner he wants. Yet the councilors allow this, castigate Mr.Green, who I believe is trying to do his best and provides information to the Town without the need for deception. This town used to have many businesses, decent people at the helm, but no longer is that true. Let's close the comm center, saving millions in future expense, and use the County comm center, which is where the 911 calls initially are received. Councilor Cote tried his best to control costs, but was thwarted by the powers that be. Why are people(councilors) intimidated by a small town cop, not even a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, who spends Town money frivorlously for his own delusional importance. Until this is changed, the facade of competence will continue at the taxpayers' expense. From a Lisbon High graduate.
People can get on here and bitch and blame each other. It all comes down to us , the people of this town. No more town meetings why? Becauce out of (9000) residents only 200 to maybe 275 would show up. Now we have seven people making our choices. How many people show up to those meetings ? (2-5) . What changes then go vote this idiots out. Go back to town meetings and let the people who pay for all that hsppens in this town have the say on what our money is spent on.
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