Daily Times Endorses Comegys for Mayor

November 12, 2008 by Cato  
Filed under Crime, Fiscal Policy, Maryland, Salisbury Politics, Taxes

Today Salisbury City Councilman Gary Comegys is expected to announce his candidacy for Mayor.  If this wasn’t so serious for the taxpayers of Salisbury it would actually be amusing.

Think back a year.  When Councilwoman Debbie Campbell criticized the administration for failing to “balance the city’s checkbook”, it was Comegys who viciously attacked  Campbell.  Yet, we learned a couple of months later that the city actually was unable to balance its checkbook – to the tune of over $10 million.  Ironically, we learned just yesterday that the administration of Mayor Barrie Tilghman, one of Comegys’ staunchest ally, has again petitioned the state of Maryland for an extension in completing the city’s audit for this past fiscal year.

This is just a portion of the record of a man who believes he is fit to be Mayor of this once fair city.

Higher taxes, more wasteful government spending, higher water and sewer rates, a crime rate that boggles the mind, and an overall degradation of city services – these are just a few of the things that have occurred under the stewardship of Gary Comegys and Barrie Tilghman.  As one condo development is going up for auction and another has sold only a fraction of its units Comegys wants to sink millions of tax dollars into the North Prong boondoggle.  As unemployment rises, it is the policies promoted by Gary Comegys which are driving the few businesses that want to move in to Salisbury OUT.

Now the Daily Times has come out with a de facto endorsement of the same old tired and grossly ineffectual policies.  By printing today’s farcical article by city reporter Laura D’Alessandro, the Daily Times has made it clear which side they are taking in this battle for the literal soul of a once great city.

“Candidate is for community policing”?  Comegys supported shutting down the police substations which were the heart of a community policing effort.

“He (Comegys) said he hopes to find areas to save revenue (in the budget) …”?  What has been Comegys’ record on city fiscal policy?  Tax increases.  More wasteful spending on the bureaucracy of the Mayor’s office.  A $10 million white elephant for the fire department and plenty of “big toys” for “big boys”.  The list goes on and on …

After the disgraceful stewardship of Barrie Parsons Tilghman, can Salisbury seriously contemplate four more years of the same?