Looking Out for the Taxpayer
May 13, 2007 by Cato
Filed under Fiscal Policy, Maryland, Salisbury Politics, Taxes
If you attend Salisbury City Council meetings and work sessions you constantly hear (primarily from members Louise Smith and Gary Comegys) how busy they are and how hard they are working (supposedly for the Salisbury taxpayer). While Salisbury is facing a fiscal crisis compounded by a potential 17% real property tax increase we should look at how these hard working people are spending their time.
Did Ms. Smith, Mr. Comegys and/or Ms. Shields travel to Easton for a free lunch (at the ultimate expense of the taxpayer) to celebrate the completion of the TIF Bond issue to benefit the developers of Aydelotte Farms? Were the reimbursed for their travel? What was the supposed benefit to the city taxpayer?
During the next week one of the council’s scheduled budget work sessions has been canceled. Why? So that members may travel to Secretary and have a nice dinner and boat ride at Suicide Bridge. Again, who will attend? Will they be reimbursed for their travel? What is th supposed benefit for the taxpayer?
I can assure you that, at the present, nothing is more important than solving the city’s fiscal problems. When police and fire personnel are paid properly, without a large (preferably no) tax increase; when there is a plan for solving the city’s infrastructure problems (e.g. water storage) and how to pay for it; then the likes of Ms. Smith, Mr. Comegys and Ms. Shields might take some time off to socialize with their counterparts in other towns.
Of course I realize that this is asking too much from a group of people who voted to enable a 17% tax increase without even looking at the budget.
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The new “Scheme Team” majority (Smith, Comegys & Shields) on the Salisbury City Council is an absolute disgrace.
I beleive that the city has a van for the purpose of City Business. This would be an ideal way of saving money. But the Mayor is not interested in saving tax payers any revenue because it may be used for the workers who really need a raise. I also question why John Pick has in his contract a $2,000 for travel allowance when we have a van for that purpose. Don’t think that is for traveling to conventions. He probably submits a travel voucher for that. Also why does the City continue to pay for certain people to use city vehicles to travel to Sussex County (fire chief), to Ocean City (police chief), Sharptown (EMS supervisor), and others in public works who live in surrounding counties. What a waste of money, again money that should go to our workers who deserve a raise.
I don’t think the EMS supervisor lives in Sharptown anymore.