.jpg)
Next week will be exciting for the Tilghman administration. While the taxpayers of Salisbury still have no final accounting of how the Tilghman Crew of Barrie, John, Lore, Pam and Paul (as well as their council allies Louise, Gary and Shanie) have wasted the taxpayers' hard earned dollars the council crew is all set to flush some more money down the drain.
On Monday we will all be treated with a "presentation" of how much money will (possibly) come into the city if Barrie's sycophants on the city council will only give away Fire Station 16 to an arts group backed by Barrie's friend Bill Ahtes. The (lack of) detail provided in the council's briefing book provides evidence that the assumptions and figures are suspect at best. Mayor Tilghman and her cohorts wouldn't want anyone to ask any intelligent questions. Would they? It was little things like intelligent questions by council members Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen which forced the administration and her council crew to back off from a 10% water and sewer increase last year.
The city has already cooked the books on the new fire station, spent money without authorization and now they want to give away a valuable piece of city owned real estate. Not only do they wish to give it away, they want to give it away to the same group of people (although using a different organizational front) that accepted the old Boulevard Theater on Main Street and then sold the property for condos. Of course it's irrelevant that their are parties who have already expressed an interest in paying hard cash for Station 16 and will then create jobs and tax revenue.
On Tuesday the council will again meet to discuss the CIP (capital improvement plan). While I haven't finished going through the entire proposal, I am already shocked at some of items that the Mayor has chosen to waste tax dollars on:
A study for the proposed Barrie Parsons Tilghman City Hall. The city finally paid off the GOB, but since Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt hasn't agreed to name the building after Barrie, she wants the taxpayers of Salisbury to build her one that is.
$300,000 for a skate park? Bitchin' dude!
$228,000 for a bike trail along the Northeast Collector Road. I happen to support biking and hiking trails. I just question why Barrie wants to add even more subsidy to the Aydelotte Farms development. If the city can't afford basic services like police and fire, why this project now? Gary Comegys argument that people are going to travel to Salisbury to ride their bikes is ridiculous. The Seagull Century is an event, bike trails aren't. Of course I like his argument that Louise Smith's neighbors in Canal Woods are going to ride their bikes all the up to the north end of town to do their shopping. If Gov. O'Malley is willing to waste $225,000 of taxpayer funds for almost half the project Barrie and Gary should call up Al Gore to fund the balance.
$600,000 for the Downtown Plaza. In all fairness, I support the rejuvenation of downtown. Unfortunately their is no comprehensive plan. Instead Barrie just likes to throw some tax money every few years so that she can get support for re-election.
$1.75 million for South Division Street. And how much tax money is being brought in by the development Barrie and crew pushed through along S. Division?
$252,000 for another pedestrian bridge over the East Branch of the Wicomico River? Gee, there's so much foot traffic along that area now.
And that's just a partial list folks. But hey, it's only tax money.
Crossposted on Delmarva Dealings
On Monday we will all be treated with a "presentation" of how much money will (possibly) come into the city if Barrie's sycophants on the city council will only give away Fire Station 16 to an arts group backed by Barrie's friend Bill Ahtes. The (lack of) detail provided in the council's briefing book provides evidence that the assumptions and figures are suspect at best. Mayor Tilghman and her cohorts wouldn't want anyone to ask any intelligent questions. Would they? It was little things like intelligent questions by council members Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen which forced the administration and her council crew to back off from a 10% water and sewer increase last year.
The city has already cooked the books on the new fire station, spent money without authorization and now they want to give away a valuable piece of city owned real estate. Not only do they wish to give it away, they want to give it away to the same group of people (although using a different organizational front) that accepted the old Boulevard Theater on Main Street and then sold the property for condos. Of course it's irrelevant that their are parties who have already expressed an interest in paying hard cash for Station 16 and will then create jobs and tax revenue.
On Tuesday the council will again meet to discuss the CIP (capital improvement plan). While I haven't finished going through the entire proposal, I am already shocked at some of items that the Mayor has chosen to waste tax dollars on:
A study for the proposed Barrie Parsons Tilghman City Hall. The city finally paid off the GOB, but since Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt hasn't agreed to name the building after Barrie, she wants the taxpayers of Salisbury to build her one that is.
$300,000 for a skate park? Bitchin' dude!
$228,000 for a bike trail along the Northeast Collector Road. I happen to support biking and hiking trails. I just question why Barrie wants to add even more subsidy to the Aydelotte Farms development. If the city can't afford basic services like police and fire, why this project now? Gary Comegys argument that people are going to travel to Salisbury to ride their bikes is ridiculous. The Seagull Century is an event, bike trails aren't. Of course I like his argument that Louise Smith's neighbors in Canal Woods are going to ride their bikes all the up to the north end of town to do their shopping. If Gov. O'Malley is willing to waste $225,000 of taxpayer funds for almost half the project Barrie and Gary should call up Al Gore to fund the balance.
$600,000 for the Downtown Plaza. In all fairness, I support the rejuvenation of downtown. Unfortunately their is no comprehensive plan. Instead Barrie just likes to throw some tax money every few years so that she can get support for re-election.
$1.75 million for South Division Street. And how much tax money is being brought in by the development Barrie and crew pushed through along S. Division?
$252,000 for another pedestrian bridge over the East Branch of the Wicomico River? Gee, there's so much foot traffic along that area now.
And that's just a partial list folks. But hey, it's only tax money.
Crossposted on Delmarva Dealings
Powered by ScribeFire.
11 comments:
you would rather turn places for children/teens to recreate into business parks? (ala skateland...old stompin grounds for me as a kid)
this area is going to turn into the midwest (in terms of weight) if we discourage activity.
skate park is a fine addition to the community. encourages activity and hopefully deters some from using other public and private property to their disposal.
G.A.--love that writing style!
Geez, so many pedestrian walkways in the CIP; I never knew so many Smallsburians were walking instead of driving their cars!
BTW, I hope Barrie hasn't revived the Dog Park in the CIP.
Then there's that new fire boat -- my guess is that it won't be in the actual 5-year plan but after it sinks a few more times will be declared a wreck so that the new one at$800,000 is put thru as an emergency amendment.
Sir:
So how much is Barrie proposing to spend, and how does she propose to get the funds? How much more will our taxes and water bills have to go up?
Anon-7:33:
The Dog Park is back, I believe.
That and the skating park should be done by the COUNTY, not the City, because they would be used by many who don't live in Salisbury.
And we really don't need a dog park in the City Park where she has proposed putting it.
Joe:
It took lots of effort by GA to do this timely post about a very important matter, and his solid analysis will not appear in the mainstream media. Please don't bury it under routine "police beat" and SFD stuff until Monday or later.
dk, I think the skate park is a wonderful idea, but you miss the point. The government shouldn't subsidize what private industry could do quite well. Skateland was a privately owned business. Since there is obviously a need out there for such an establishment, I'm sure that there is some enterprising business person who could put together a business plan and start a private enterprise. The advantage of this would be:
increase in the tax base
employment of several people
creation of new enterprise areas
natural creative influence generated by motivation to earn higher profits.
Government should not be in the business of providing EVERY need or want of the citizenry
Who is making the money on the bike trails?
Here's the thing about the bike paths--SHA has an initiative on these and guess who on City Council is employed by SHA!
Anonymous said...
Here's the thing about the bike paths--SHA has an initiative on these and guess who on City Council is employed by SHA!
2:43 PM
UMMMM, Bubba Comygeys, right?
(can I get a gold star?)
Lots more tax payers wasted money by this city administration, if we allow it all. And don't think this is the end of the wasted tax dollars folks!
A. Goetz
Post a Comment