Times Record: Lisbon Council Approves Warrants

BY DARCIE MOORE Times Record Staff

LISBON

The Lisbon Town Council approved a warrant Tuesday for the school budget referendum on June 10 as well as a five question warrant asking voters to authorize town officials to issue $7.5 million in bonds for a new high school gym, track, and purchase or construction of a new public works building.

The bonds would be $1.3 million for the new public works facility, $5.7 million for a new gymnasium and related improvements at Lisbon High School, and $500,000 for a new track and related improvements at the high school.

Councilor Dillon Pesce said during the discussion it’s important the town inform voters how much each bond will impact the tax rate, as well as all the proposed bonds collectively, and wants that information hung on the walls at the polls. Interim Town Manager Dale Olmstead said the town will inform voters also through mailings and on the local cable television channel.

The other two questions on that referendum warrant are proposed charter amendments.

The first aims to make it easier for citizens to petition for a special town meeting to consider budget issues by reducing the petition signatures needed from 15 percent to 10 percent of the total number of qualified voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election. The second amendment would adopt state procedures for the declaration of write-in candidates in municipal elections, as well as the tabulation and reporting of the results for write-in candidates.

David Bowie, chairman of the charter commission that developed the current charter changing Lisbon’s town meeting and board of selectmen form of government to a town council system, said in the past he has spoken against some of the proposals that have been discussed regarding municipal budget referendums. When the commission put the charter together several years ago, based on the size of the town, complexity of budgets and low turnout at meetings, it suggested it was time to move to a town council form of government, he said.

At the same time, however, the commission believed the charter needed a citizen initiative process should a council propose a budget not in line with what the townspeople want. A special town meeting process was included so citizens can override the council budget, which the commission felt was the most efficient way to get information to the public, allow debate, compromise, and “to do it in a timely manor,” Bowie said.

The reduction in the percentage of signatures needed is from about 600 to 400 signatures, Bowie said. The petition process for a special town meeting wasn’t so much to be used, “as to be a deterrent so the Town Council does its best possible job and puts together an acceptable budget in the first place,” he said.

In November 2011, Lisbon voters were given an advisory question at the polls asking, “Do the voters of the town of Lisbon wish to vote on an amendment to the town charter that, if enacted, would require voter approval at a referendum election for each annual municipal budget?”

They overwhelmingly voted yes on 2,025 ballots and no on 514 ballots.

Dorothy Fitzgerald asked if the amendment is an effort “to circumvent the townspeople (the voters) to be able to vote on the town budget? Is this a way to go to a town meeting rather than the townspeople being able to vote on the town budget?”

Councilor Roger Bickford answered, “Yes.”

“Evidently, the council is not listening to the voters,” Fitzgerald said, “because this is what the voters voted for not that many years ago, to have the ability to vote on the town budget, and what you’re doing is not right.”

Councilors also approved new hours for the town office and library beginning July 1, following surveys of the public about improving service.

As of July 1, the town office will be open four days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and closed Friday. The library will lose 2.5 hours a week with a schedule of 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Olmstead also announced Tuesday night the Town Council has narrowed the new town manager candidates to one.

The candidate will be at the town office from 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 13 to greet the public before the council interviews her for a second time in executive session. He expects to release her name very soon and said the council is expected to officially appoint her May 20.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

 http://www.timesrecord.com/news/2014-05-07/Local/Lisbon_council_approves_warrants.html