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In an effort to force Lebanon Selectman Jason Cole to produce timeslips detailing selectman hours worked for the town over the past five months The Lebanon Voice filed a Right to Know request on April 18, which was rejected.
The word that came back from Selectmen Chairman Robert Frizzell was that Cole was working on it and when he submitted them The Lebanon Voice would be permitted to see them.
Is that supposed to sooth taxpayers’ ire?
Frizzell submits his timeslips every three months, while Selectwoman Karen Gerrish files hers every two weeks, leaving Cole as the worst offender.
Two weeks ago Budget Committee members grilled Frizzell over lackadaisical payslip submissions, but the thumb-your-nose at taxpayers attitudes seems unabated.
At the meeting one panel member complained he saw Cole in the Rescue Command vehicle at Town Hall and asked who was he working as at the time: assistant rescue chief or town selectman.
“Well, I figured he was working, he was on the computer,” Frizzell said.
Beside being a selectman and assistant rescue chief, Cole also organizes events under the auspices of Lebanon Rescue Corporation like Lebanon Cleanup Day this Saturday.
He also maintains several Facebook pages and posts on them frequently.
Bottomline? He’s on the computer or smartphone 24/7, Mr. Frizzell, in case you hadn’t noticed.
We can’t afford to pay him 24/7.
We know the selectman’s rate of pay is just $12 an hour, but it’s the principle that matters here. Is this how you define transparency, integrity?
You’re not supposed to have to “work” on your payslip. You’re supposed to write down the hours you worked and what you did every day you work, not sit down every five months and figure it out.
The voters deserve an explanation for the delay.
The votes deserve to know what he did during those hours he says he worked, not just the number of hours he worked per week with no explanation.
The voters deserve more. - HT
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