Barrie Tilghman’s Dog Ate the Spreadsheet
Now that Salisbury residents officially live in an authoritarian city-state, there should be no surprise that the Tilghman administration is in no mood to provide citizens, or elected officials, with information that isn’t to Tilghman’s advantage. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that Tilghman has city solicitor Paul Wilber working overtime (using unappropriated tax dollars) trying to figure out how to get around pesky little things like the state’s public information act.
If you listened to Tilghman apologist and protege Gary Comegys on Monday night you heard the party line that requests for detailed information on the proposed water and sewer rate increases were submitted too late by Salisbury Councilwoman Terry Cohen to be delivered in time for the June 2nd work session. Unfortunately, Comegys was proven to be wrong, and possibly lying about it.
Cohen made her initial request for information on May 15, 2008, not June 2 as Comegys asserted. City Administrator (Tilghman henchman) John Pick refused Cohen’s request claiming that the information she requested was “a draft report”. Since the Tilghman regime never hesitated to release draft reports to council in the past - when it suits their purpose - Cohen questioned why not now. She was referred to Queen Barrie herself.
Queen Barrie wasn’t too interested in providing information that may not justify the need for a multi-year series of double digit rate increases. Now she contends that “she doesn’t keep drafts”. Whether the dog ate the spreadsheets or she merely shredded them while depend on Tilghman’s story that particular day.
Cohen, not one to be brushed aside by the great Queen Barrie, filed a PIA (Public Information Act) request. I can’t wait to hear the Tilghman administration claim that the city can’t comply because they don’t have funds to pay city solicitor Paul Wilber. Of course there is nothing in the act that requires an attorney consultation UNLESS they choose NOT TO COMPLY with the request.
Expect a battle.
Sphere: Related ContentIf 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