Merry Christmas Salisbury
I sincerely hope that the taxpayers of Salisbury had a Merry Christmas. The New Year may
not be too great.
The homicide rate is Salisbury has tripled. It has taken Mayor Tilghman and Chief Webster almost as long to recognize the gang problem as it took the FBI to recognize that there really is a Mafia. The city is having great difficulty recruiting and retaining police officers.
Fire and EMS service are stretched thin. But wait, the Mayor and her “council leadership†have a solution.
At the top of her agenda is to raise your taxes when the new budget is adopted this summer. Showing their true stripes, it’s always better to rape the taxpayer than to actually make people like developers and slumlords pay their own way.
Will the tax increase solve the problems of Salisbury? Of course it won’t. Barrie Tilghman and her little white collar posse have mortgaged the future of this city far beyond the next year or two. The city has chosen to lease its new fire station. While the mayor refuses to admit it, the reason appears to be due to a lack of bonding capacity by the city. Why can’t the city borrow more money?
For starters, it seems that the city is too busy borrowing money to reimburse developers. A prime example is the Sassafras Meadows development. The original developers promised 276 units of affordable senior housing in order to receive their sewer and water. They got their sewer and water and then sold the property to Tom Ruark who feels no obligation to build any senior housing. Now the mayor and her crew will tell you that there is senior housing going on that site. True enough. Unfortunately for the city’s seniors it won’t be the 276 units promised. The mayor will claim that the state wouldn’t approve any more. Well, that’s partially true. The real truth lies a bit below the surface. You only need state approval for certain types of subsidies, not to actually build the housing. Even though these developers failed to keep their word with the citizens of Salisbury, Mayor Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, Lynn Cathcart and Shanie Shields all believe so strongly in protecting the taxpayer that they are borrowing money to reimburse these developers. Not only were they under no legal obligation to do so, they certainly are under no moral obligation given that the developer failed to honor their end of the bargain. But again, we know where the loyalties of Mayor Tilghman and her crew of political stick-up artists lie.
The city has re-obligated itself to a $14 million subsidy of the “Village†(old mall project). Don’t we need something down there? Of course we do. I don’t live in that neighborhood
so I don’t really care if they build the “Village†or create a park. The hard working folks who live their do seem to care. More importantly they seem to care that whatever takes place be done legally. This is something that the Mayor, Dunn, Comegys, Cathcart and Shields
have never been particularly concerned with. They give the project an illegal zoning classification and then have the temerity to attack the residents of the neighborhood when they go to court and a judge backs them up. Guess what? It seems to be happening again. The city will spend thousands of your tax dollars defending the indefensible and then attack the citizens when the Mayor, et al are made fools of in court again.
Look, I’ve heard the arguments for the TIF. They simply don’t hold water. TIF’s do have their place, but not for this type of development. If Barrie Tilghman wants to see blight, go to Baltimore, Philly or DC. There is really nothing in Salisbury that is really worthy of
a TIF, unless it is for commercial development that will bring jobs and pay far more in taxes than it will use in services. TIF’s for residential or mixed use developments are nothing more than blatant subsidies which displace development. The next step will be for every new subdivision to request a TIF so that they will be on a level playing field. Under this administration they will probably get it too.
Next step, HIGHER TAXES to subsidize services to subdivisions that are paying taxes to a “special taxing district†instead of the general fund. Eventually homeowners will have to leave the city because of the onerous tax burden. Who will step in? The slumlords. They’ll raise rental rates until there is no affordable housing left in the city. Next step? More onerous taxes on businesses until they pack up and leave. No Barrie, I’m not making
this up. It has happened in cities across this great land of ours and will happen here if something is not done.
But wait! Mayor Tilghman and her “council leadership†claim that they are increasing the tax base of the city. True enough. Unfortunately, the Mayor and her buds evidently failed basic arithmetic. When you annex land for a residential subdivision, you are taking in a development that will use up approximately $1.35 in services for every $1.00 paid in
taxes. Contrast this with a commercial project that will use only $0.60 in service for each $1.00 paid in taxes. The city would actually be better off leaving the land in the county and providing sewer and water, provided that the rates charged were profitable to the city.
When you lose money on a transaction, it doesn’t matter how many transactions are completed. You still lose money.
Is there a solution? There are several. The most pressing will be upon you soon. If you
want a city that will blossom, rather than continue to deteriorate you must elect a new city council this spring. Dunn, Comegys and Cathcart have to go! Rumor is that Lynn Cathcart isn’t running for re-election, but that Barrie’s lackey Michael Day will run in her place.
If you re-elect these folks you have no one to blame other than yourselves. If your home is broken into and you vote for these guys don’t cry about it. If your car is stolen, ditto.
Even with a new city council it will take many years to solve all of the problems brought to you courtesy of Barrie and her “council leadershipâ€. In two years, you have the opportunity to step up to the plate and elect a new Mayor.
It won’t be easy. You will need good people to run who won’t be intimidated by the Mayor’s bullying ways. Unfortunately you will probably see some tax increases along the way too, just not as many as you would under this current crew. Good people and good
policies will allow this city to make a big comeback. When businesses see that city government is serious about enacting economically rational policies, rather than corporate
welfare for the entitled few, the economic base of the city will grow again. Taxes can decrease rather than increase and home owners, rather than renters, can make up the majority of our citizens.
Do you want a Happy New Year? If you live in Salisbury, it’s up to you.
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Comments
This is one heckuva fine dang post, Mr. Cato! Ya know, on that senior housin’ business, I remember when there weren’t gonna be none until Mrs. Campbell pointed out what was promised. Then Mrs. Shields got all upset ’bout the “bait and switch.” So now the other mugs on the Council are tryin’ t’look like heroes fer gettin’ 80 units (outta 276, that’s what, less than a third promised?) When it comes t’seniors, this kinda stuff gets the ole dog’s hackles up.
I’ll be at the polls fer the election. I’m cuttin’ down on the biscuits t’save up fer contributions.
–CD
Cato:
At a get-together yesterday, I met someone with real knowledge about such things who said that the rip-rap work now being done along the river in the City Park (which she had seen when at the Zoo over the weekend with her children) is totally unnecessary to stabilize the banks, and that the City must be wasting huge amounts of money on it. When I told her that there had been a plan to use a natural system of organic “logs” and natural plantings, she said that would be a much better solution for a lot lower cost.
What gives?