I predict a big change in my town of Lisbon this November.

In order to lower taxes this year, the Town Council followed its newly learned core beliefs by giving an edict to the School Committee to cut $600,000 from local spending and itself reducing the municipal budget by $300,000.

“Mission accomplished,” but residents vote on Nov. 3 for a fourth time to approve that very same school budget. The council is unaffected and I predict the same unnecessary result.

The council also made a failed attempt at giving police dispatch duties to the county (the same one it is suing over Budget Committee authority) and has proposed some poorly vetted changes to the town charter for consideration. Now there are alleged incidents of individual councilors themselves creating political signs that encourage a “yes” vote on the school budget while going about removing others that were legally placed.

Lowering taxes is a worthwhile goal, but these actions go beyond reasonable fiscal responsibility and the perceptions created are astounding.

The voters of this community will think hard about how they cast their vote this year and, yes, I predict a major change for Lisbon. Maybe, in the meantime our campaigners will quit the battle over signs and focus on ethical and legal means.

Donald Fellows, Lisbon