Don’t Fault Barrie Tilghman
Salisbury government is something. Mayor Barrie Tilghman’s bureaucracy grows and grows. Property taxes rise. The only economic development that the city seems able to attract is retail or residential development. Yet, we have learned via the Daily Times that this is not Tilghman’s fault. No, it’s all because Wicomico County won’t write her a BIG CHECK!
Taking a clue from her counterpart down the hall (Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt), Tilghman is blaming some amorphous government policy for the fiscal woes of Salisbury. Tilghman seems to think that the city’s fiscal plight is because Wicomico County doesn’t provide a tax differential. This is similar to Pollitt’s now monotonous tactic of tying the county’s revenue cap with its fiscal problems.
It should be noted that Tilghman has now changed her rhetoric a bit and has begun calling for a “tax set-off”. As we explained in an earlier post, Tilghman wants the county to right a check, not provide needed tax relief to Salisbury taxpayers. It should be noted that our local paper has fallen right in line.
As we have stated time and again, a TAX DIFFERENTIAL is fair. Asking the Wicomico County government to simply write a check (Tilghman’s newly named TAX SET-OFF) so that Tilghman may feed her bureaucracy is unjust to all taxpayers AND fiscally irresponsible.
Tilghman has proven time and again that she will spend every nickel that she can snatch, wheedle, or extort from the city’s residents. Sure, there are a few residents like SU professor Don Cathcart (spouse of former councilwoman Lynn Cathcart) who have this strange notion that Salisbury residents are not taxed enough. However, I believe that this is merely a sad commentary on Maryland’s system of higher education.
What other potential sources of city revenue does Tilghman have in mind? If she has specifics I would be happy to listen. Perhaps Tilghman could simply cut back on the subsidies provided to her developer pals? How about actually enforcing the city’s code and fining her slumlord buddies?
I know, who am I kidding?
cross posted at Salisbury News
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, Wicomico, politics, Salisbury politics, Wicomico politics, Rick Pollitt, Barrie Tilghman, fiscal policy, taxationSphere: Related Content
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment