POLL: Should Lisbon Merge with Sussex? Public Forum Scheduled

After decades of struggles between governing boards, the Town of Lisbon has scheduled a public forum to address a possible merger with the Village of Sussex to become the City of Sussex-Lisbon.

The public forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on April 4 at the Richmond Fire Station (N54W26455 Lisbon Road), and attendees can weigh in on whether or not the Lisbon Town Board should consider a merger. However, the board is willing to consider four options:

Continue as Town of Lisbon and Provide Services Like a Village

This is how Lisbon currently operates, but many residents and the board feel it isn't sustainable. Some surrounding communities have expressed an interest in annexing some land in Lisbon, and if they did, it would result in a decreased tax base. That would mean the town would need to raise taxes or reduce services.

Continue as Town of Lisbon and Provide Services Like Most Towns

This option has the same uncertainty as providing services like a village, but for a short period of time Lisbon could provide financial tax benefits to residents. Lisbon residents would also be relying on others to provide some services currently provided by the town.

Continue Trying to Become the Village of Lisbon

This is the only option that insures Lisbon’s freestanding existence as a municipality in the long-term. However, given that incorporation efforts failed in 2011, the future incorporation would be difficult. A new Village of Lisbon would also most likely not include all of the current Town of Lisbon, excluding two or three square miles of the existing town. Furthermore, this process is uncertain and would be very expensive.

Merge with Sussex to Become the City of Sussex-Lisbon

This is the option the Lisbon Town Board wants to consider most seriously. Board members say they realize many residents will have some hesitation, so that's why the public forum was scheduled. 

Most Lisbon officials have expressed the most interest in a merger because it would simplify government services, be sustainable and hopefully resolve longstanding differences between Sussex and Lisbon, according to the Sussex Sun.

But many residents in Lisbon aren't as excited about a possible merger because of an inevitable increase in taxes. Town residents currently pay a municipal tax rate of $2.96 per $1,000 assessed valuation while village residents pay about $4.73 per $1,000. 

Because state law says residents of the same municipality must be taxed the same, Lisbon residents would quite possibly see an increase in taxes. Sussex residents could also see a decrease in taxes in an attempt to meet in the middle. Efforts by individuals to suspend the law for a Sussex-Lisbon merger have failed. 

This is said to be the first of many public information meetings.