The Fiscal Mindset of a Barrie Comegys Administration
February 24, 2009 by Cato
Filed under Fiscal Policy, Maryland, Salisbury Politics
Last night’s Salisbury City Council meeting was relatively short but instructive on so many levels. The most instructive point was the glimmer of what Salisbury could expect under a Barrie Comegys administration.
During discussion of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY2010 – FY2014 an amendment was made by Councilwoman Debbie Campbell to remove two items from the CIP:
- a fire boat for the SFD
- a study for a new city hall
I happen to disagree with Mrs. Campbell about the fire boat. Assuming that the vessel would be adequately maintained (I know, a big assumption given SFD’s record with watercraft), the boat would be a good (and needed) investment for Maryland’s second largest port. However, that’s not the real issue. Campbell, either intentionally or not, laid a rhetorical trap for mayoral candidate Gary Comegys. Surprisingly, he fell right into it.
Mrs. Campbell made the remark that these were just two items of less than $1 million (combined) in a CIP of over $71 million. If Mr. Comegys didn’t want to remove these items, did he have two other items to remove?
Comegys reply – “I didn’t know we were doing a tally sheet.” He should have stopped right there. That portion of Campbell’s argument was admittedly not the best. For whatever reason, Comegys just couldn’t stop.
Comegys went on to make a fairly decent argument for the fire boat. BUT … He went on to state that the fire boat would be paid with DHS (Homeland Security) money. If it were coming out of local tax dollars, that would be different
Tax dollars are tax dollars Gary. Does Salisbury need a fire boat or not? If you do, then it shouldn’t matter whether DHS is paying for it or property tax revenue is used. Sure, it’s gravy if the feds are paying. However, the fact that you stated you wouldn’t support the expenditure if the money was coming directly from Salisbury (rather than Salisbury via Washington) shows your true attitude towards spending the taxpayers’ money.
In this little exchange we also learned something else. What’s good for Gary’s gander isn’t good for the everyone else’s goose. Comegys’ remark about the “tally sheet” was actually valid. Knocking off two items from the CIP just for the sake of removing two items is not good governance. Unfortunately for the Salisbury taxpayers, that is EXACTLY the view Gary Comegys takes when it comes to city spending at budget time.
Comegys has consistently refused to support specific cuts to the city’s budget. Instead, he comes back with – let’s cut 3% here, 5% there. Last year he and the Mayor cooked up a bastardized form of “program budgeting” to prevent either Mrs. Campbell or Ms. Cohen from proposing any more specific cuts that the Barrie Comegys team would find embarrassing at election time.
This election will mean a great deal for Salisbury citizens, especially property tax payers. If Comegys, along with his supporters Muir Boda and Shanie Shields, is elected we can expect more of the same:
HIGHER TAXES,
MORE CITY SPENDING,
MORE BUREAUCRACY,
REDUCED CITY SERVICES
I have a suggestion for this disagreement that would incorporate a little of BOTH Comegy’s and Campbell’s approach to city budget cuts:
Let’s begin by cutting out Comegy’s salary altogether. No, really I’m serious. Think about it:
It would represent a very small percentage of the city’s budget – but a % nonetheless- Comegys should be happy.
It would represent only 1 item -but an item nonetheless – on the “tally sheet” as Comegys so sarcastically calls it, so Campbell should be somewhat happy.
Oh and one more thing: It would TOTALLY cut out what is the biggest waste of taxpayer’s money that exists in the city’s buget. I mean, shouldn’t we be getting something besides hot air in return for tens of thousands?
A new city hall heh? to whose benefit? For in the city of FOB’s it’s most definetly NOT the public better known as taxpayers, that benefits.