Gary Comegys — Champion of the Little Guy
I didn’t know Salisbury Coucil Vice President Gary Comegys cared so much. All along it seemed that Mr. Comegys was too busy bending over to accomodate developers (as in the recent meeting at the Fountains designed to plot a strategy to keep “the natives” from getting too restless) and slumlords to worry about the little guy. I was wrong.
Mr. Comegys showed us Wednesday night that he cares. He cares so much that he opposed amendments to close loopholes in the 4-3 proposals because the “free market” needs to work and because they were discrimating against the poor. He even opposed requiring that neighborhood residents be given notice and right of appeal when a landlord applies (or is granted the right) to be grandfathered or loses their exemption to rent to 4 unrelated persons.
According to Gary, “someone has to speak for the people who aren’t here tonight”. Well Gary, you need to get your eyes checked. The people you were speaking for (SAPOA and slumlords everywhere) were sitting 6 feet in front you, to your right.
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Last night Comegys talked about those single-family neighborhoods that should have been excluded from 4 to 2. Which ones would those be? Since landlords own nearly 80% of the R-5 single-family neighborhoods, I can guess that would have been a good start. As I have watched meetings I have seen people from Church St., Princeton Homes, New York Ave., Erin Mohr, Camden, Newtown, Glen Ave. speak in support of 4 to 2. Comegys, and the Mayor live in a Planned Residential Development with covenants that restrict even having a rental sign on the front lawn. It must make it really easy to sell out everyone else’s neighborhood. Remember all the SINA supporters wanted was to, over time, return areas zoned single-family, to the use described in the Code.