Wicomico MOE Waiver Denied – State Gives Finger to Wicomico Citizens

The Maryland State Board of Education has denied Wicomico County’s request for a waiver of the state’s Momentum of Effort rule.  County Executive Rick Pollitt, along with the Wicomico County Council will now be forced to come up with approximately $2 million in additional cuts to the county’s budget.

Council Joe Holloway (R-5) responded to the state’s decision:

I’m disappointed.  I was hoping that as a county, the Board, Rick Pollitt and the County Council could work as a team to solve our current fiscal dillemma.  Unfortunately, Dr. Fredericksen’s efforts seem to have derailed our attempts to weather the county’s current financial situation.

Councilwoman Gail Bartkovich believes that the WCBOE should find a solution within their own budget:

I think that the board of education needs to find those cuts in their own budget.  Our county departments can’t make any more cuts this year.  While county employees are receiving no pay increase this year, and we’re even talking about furlough days, the board is able to increase benefits for their retirees.

On Tuesday night, in response to comments I made before the board, Supt. John Fredericksen claimed that he was working with the county to find cuts.  He even made a comment that, “If the Sheriff’s department needs $100,000 we could find it for them.”

This is the heart of the problem.  According to the Wicomico county charter it is the responsibility of our County Executive and seven elected members of the county council to determine how our tax money is to be spent.  Yet, Fredericksen seems to believe that he and a group of appointees should be able to dictate the county’s spending priorities.  The arrogance of some just never ceases to amaze me.

I’m quite confident that Sheriff Mike Lewis is grateful that Fredericksen, an appointee of appointees, will find the goodness in his heart to help fund law enforcement in Wicomico County.  I’m sure that our county council is grateful to now find out that they are irrelevant.  Fredericksen and his school board pals will now take care of the county legislature’s most important duty – appropriating our tax dollars and providing fiscal oversight to the county executive.  As for my friend Rick Pollitt, I’m sure that he’s happy to know that he can now take a long vacation until his term has ended.  County Administrator Ted Shea and the department heads can handle business while the WCBOE dictates how they will spend the taxpayers’ money.

We need to look long and hard at the school budget for this year.  IF Fredericksen can honestly find $2 million in cuts, then why haven’t they?  Why did they oppose the MOE waiver?  The answer is simple – POWER.  Fredericksen and his merry band of bureaucrats want us – the voters and taxpayers – to be somehow grateful for them WASTING OUR MONEY!  This makes it that much easier to keep kowtowing to their employee unions.

Wicomico County is facing a legitimate fiscal crisis.  As someone who is opposed to the revenue cap on principle, I have been willing to entertain the notion that repeal should be, at least, discussed.  However, given the actions of the WCBOE I am forced to admit that the revenue cap (as a practical matter) cannot be repealed.  Today’s decision shows that a group of appointed individuals, who have nothing but contempt for the Wicomico taxpayer, already have FAR TOO MUCH control over how our tax dollars are spent.

In the next few weeks we will see how the county fairs.  If even deeper cuts are required to public safety and infrastructure, remember -

• If you house is burning down and the fire truck doesn’t get there in time – call John Fredericksen

• If you spouse clutches their chest in pain and the ambulance doesn’t arrive in time – call Michelle Wright

• If the wheels fly off your car because the roads are nothing but a series of potholes – call Mark Thompson

• When someone robs your house and the deputies can’t respond with their usual speed – call Ron Willey

It is they, and the other members of WCBOE who seem to be determining how your tax dollars are being spent – not the people you elected to do the job.

cross posted on Delmarva Dealings

Sphere: Related Content