TIME TO PUT DOWN THE REMOTE AND TAKE ACTION!!!!!
It is important that the residents of Lisbon recognize the
similarities of the past and not make the same mistakes. Towns such as Chelsea and cities like Detroit
have waited too long for the citizens to take action. Remember the immortal words of Edmund Burke: “The only thing
necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Also the Reverend Charles F. Aked said “that for evil
men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do
nothing”. These leaders have just described the town of Lisbon.
The town of Lisbon has lost our freedom of speech and its
voice during town council meetings. This
has opened the doors for our councilors to ignore the town’s charter and to
perform illegal acts. This is OUR town
and it is time for the citizens of Lisbon to get off the couch, put down the
remote and put a stop to this corruption.
Everyone is
waiting for someone else to act but it is the responsibility of each of us to
take action. The Lisbon Reporter
and LisbonMaine.net have worked hard to bring the truth to the residents. Former councilors slammed both blogs for
reporting false information in order to cause trouble in Lisbon. So these blogs started proving town documents
to back up the information provided. As it turns out all
the information reported was true and these former councilors had been lying to
the people all along. Everything Councilor Cote said during
his tenure on the Town Council is coming true.
Chairman LaRochelle has voted to take individuals properties
for back taxes which included interest and penalties. However, when it came to LaRochelle
Properties, LLC owing back taxes, interest and penalties, Chairman LaRochelle
volunteered to pay ONLY the back taxes; in fact, the town Assessor did not
compute any interest and penalties for the Chairman.
Everyone else who owes back taxes is forced
to pay interest and penalties. This situation
was created by an administrative error by the town but for over ten years
Chairman LaRochelle never reported the error; probably because it was in his
favor.
As Chairman of the town council, he should have recognized the
error immediately.
The latest contracts awarded by the town council were a clear
violation of the Purchasing Policy of the town.
The contract for the removal of sludge never went out for bid. The contract is for $80,000 tax dollars and is
required to be put out for bid. The road
striping contract went out for bid and was awarded to a Massachusetts company
over a Maine company. There were no sealed bids provided at the
council meeting and yet our town council took the word of the town manager and
approved the contract knowing the Maine company had never received the RFP but
wanted to bid on the contract.
For the past two years, citizens of Lisbon have suffered a
tax increase. Town documents have shown in the Transfers and Carry Forward that a
tax increase was not necessary in 2012-2013.
Town Manager Eldridge stated the budget
includes $100,000 tax dollar inflation in the tax dollars allocated for the TIF
payments. The town does not need the
latest police cars tricked out with the top of the line police packet in them. The town does not need to pay
$500,000 tax dollars for a Communication Center that is not a Public Safety
Answering Point (PSAP). This means that
all 911 calls are relayed from the Androscoggin County Dispatch before anyone
is dispatched to respond to the situation.
This is a totally unnecessary step putting OUR lives at
risk. The only reason the town suffered a tax increase this year is to support
Chief Brooks’ police department and the communications center. In the meantime, residents are struggling to
pay their taxes.
It is time for all citizens to become active before Lisbon
becomes a Chelsea or Detroit. One thing
that can be done is in November; we can vote out Fern
LaRochelle; Roger Bickford and Gina Mason.
These three are members of the Good Old Boys network.
Start today by calling or emailing your councilors and let them know
your feelings. Their contacts are
listed below:
Chairman Fern LaRochelle – 353-2329 flarochelle@lisbonme.org
Vice Chair Lisa Ward – 353-7307 lward@lisbonme.org
Councilor Garrison– 353-2547 gregg,garrison@email.com
Councilor Bickford – 353-8946 rogginbic32@gmail.com
Councilor Mason – 353-9086 gmason@lisbonme.org
Council Lunt – 353-9903 mlunt@lisbonme.org
Councilor Pesce – 577-4222 DND116@myfairpoint.net
I believe Joe Hill said it best in his article called “Councilors
– Can you feel Lisbon’s Pain”. This
article is posted on both web sites.
Larry Fillmore
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