Carri Bradshaw put her update on the latest Lebanon Town Council Meeting up on Facebook. Carri raised some important facts about why in the world it would cost over $17,000 to put meetings up on the internet. Carri’s report on the meeting;
I’ve been trying to gather my thoughts about last week’s town council meeting — and to be honest, I was dumbfounded.
A motion was made to spend $17,489 to outfit the council chambers for livestreaming meetings. Brad Lambert made the motion, and Scott Gilmer seconded it. Mayor Dodi and Nina Fields spoke against it, rightly pointing out that our town has critical infrastructure needs that should be prioritized.
Right now, we have one wastewater pump that’s down — it will cost just over $13,000 to repair. There’s also a damaged screen at the water treatment plant (from the storm after Hurricane Helene) that needs to be replaced — also a $13,000+ repair. These are not optional upgrades; they are essential to the health and safety of our community.
Meanwhile, I’ve been livestreaming the meetings for free — using YouTube and Facebook, which cost the town absolutely nothing.
What’s even more surprising is that this push to livestream meetings — a major part of my campaign platform — is now being championed by someone I nearly unseated last November. He’s been on council since 2020 and never pushed for this until now. Suddenly, it’s a priority? Don’t get me wrong, I am glad that they are making a step toward live-streaming the meetings and transparency, just interesting timing…
Let’s be honest — it’s time to get our priorities straight. Infrastructure and public safety come first. Frivolous spending has to stop.
We need to invest in our infrastructure and in the people of our community. The health and safety of our residents should always be at the forefront. Town council members are elected to serve the people — not the other way around.
On election night, I was told there would be a fight for our law enforcement officers — but since then, it’s been crickets. If we’re not willing to invest in our officers and give them a reason to stay with us through retirement age, we will keep losing good people to surrounding localities that offer competitive pay and retirement benefits.
We have to support those who support us — especially the ones who show up in our moments of greatest need. That’s how we build a stronger, safer, and more stable community.
The public and the citizens of Lebanon need to thank Carri Bradshaw for keeping us informed about what is going on in the Town.
