Since the first Clinton administration, "It's for the children.", has reigned as the all purpose cover-up for wasting taxpayers' money. With their backs up against the wall, again, Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman's "council leadership" of Louise Smith, Gary Comegys and Shanie Shields plucked the taxpayer yet again crying, "It's for the seniors!". The infamous Sassafras Meadows property received another $320,000 subsidy from Salisbury's citizens.
Isn't affordable housing for Salisbury's seniors important? Of course it is. When other projects come before Salisbury council you probably won't here a peep from citizens. But you need to remember that the citizens of Salisbury have now agreed to pay out over $1 million in subsidies to this one parcel.
t
"Wait, I read that the subsidy was only $287,000!" That's what you read the Daily Times. It's not inaccurate, but it only tell part of the story.
The Tilghman administration, with the consent of Comegys, Shields, and the balance of the old "Dream Team", borrowed almost $900,000 to reimburse the owners of the Sassafras Meadows parcel for running water and sewer out to the property. REMEMBER, the agreement to give the property water and sewer was based on the promise that almost 300 units of affordable senior housing would be built. The developers simply took a big bag of cash from the city and left town.
The property's new owner, Tom Ruark, basically laughed at Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Shanie Shields when he was reminded of the past commitment. Why not? Mayor Tilghman had already stacked the deck by allowing the water and sewer lines to be run without having annexed the property first. What did Ruark care? He had a piece of property with water and sewer. He basically dared the city not to annex. Of course when it came time to pay out the developer reimbursement, Shanie was right in line doing what her slumlord masters told her to do. Perhaps Mrs. Shields will one day understand that Lincoln freed the slaves and she can move off the plantation.
Now Salisbury's taxpayers are supposed to add another $320,000 to the pot. "It's for the seniors!".
If the Wicomico County Council is foolish enough to sign on, we will be adding another $320,000 to the subsidy. This will bring the total to almost $1.5 million! But don't worry, "It's for the seniors!".
I don't know what the cost per unit will be to the developer, but the total subsidies to this property will now amount to around $19,000 per unit. "It's for the seniors!".
What would be an equitable solution? Simple. Force the developers to live up to their word! I forgot, we're talking about Barrieland.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Mayland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, affordable housing, seniors, development, Debbie Campbell, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields
Isn't affordable housing for Salisbury's seniors important? Of course it is. When other projects come before Salisbury council you probably won't here a peep from citizens. But you need to remember that the citizens of Salisbury have now agreed to pay out over $1 million in subsidies to this one parcel.
t
"Wait, I read that the subsidy was only $287,000!" That's what you read the Daily Times. It's not inaccurate, but it only tell part of the story.
The Tilghman administration, with the consent of Comegys, Shields, and the balance of the old "Dream Team", borrowed almost $900,000 to reimburse the owners of the Sassafras Meadows parcel for running water and sewer out to the property. REMEMBER, the agreement to give the property water and sewer was based on the promise that almost 300 units of affordable senior housing would be built. The developers simply took a big bag of cash from the city and left town.
The property's new owner, Tom Ruark, basically laughed at Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Shanie Shields when he was reminded of the past commitment. Why not? Mayor Tilghman had already stacked the deck by allowing the water and sewer lines to be run without having annexed the property first. What did Ruark care? He had a piece of property with water and sewer. He basically dared the city not to annex. Of course when it came time to pay out the developer reimbursement, Shanie was right in line doing what her slumlord masters told her to do. Perhaps Mrs. Shields will one day understand that Lincoln freed the slaves and she can move off the plantation.
Now Salisbury's taxpayers are supposed to add another $320,000 to the pot. "It's for the seniors!".
If the Wicomico County Council is foolish enough to sign on, we will be adding another $320,000 to the subsidy. This will bring the total to almost $1.5 million! But don't worry, "It's for the seniors!".
I don't know what the cost per unit will be to the developer, but the total subsidies to this property will now amount to around $19,000 per unit. "It's for the seniors!".
What would be an equitable solution? Simple. Force the developers to live up to their word! I forgot, we're talking about Barrieland.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Mayland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, affordable housing, seniors, development, Debbie Campbell, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields
7 comments:
I want to congratulate the lady who spoke in public comment last night asking for the mayor to resign.
The mayor is systematically turning Salisbury into a slum needing affordable housing. And the mayor's cronies get to profit in doing that too.
Watching this last night on TV, I recalled the person who commented on an earlier post. They said they hoped Debbie and Terry stood up for the taxpayers on this one.
And I suddenly felt ashamed. Where the hell are we taxpayers standing up for them?
I'm not brave enough to start a recall petition, but I'd sure as hell sign it.
Barrie Tilghman won't resign, ever. Her hand is so deep in the til it will take a crane to pull it out. Expect another property tax hike to assist in paying off all future affordable housing projects. This woman is a disgrace to humanity. It was so obvious that her council majority knew they were going to push this through they just had to be patient with the viable questions being asked by the only two on council that do what the people have elected them to do.
How much did Mike Dunn make off that resolution being passed? Did I hear Ms Campbell correctly, Ruark transferred this property to an LLC just a week ago?
Shanie is a waste of taxpayers money,Gary Comegys is listed as a second rate SHA assistant rated engineer with no responsibilities,which leaves Council Pres.Smith the biggest disappointment to those that elected her.The damage is only to get larger and larger. Thomas Ruark and all the slum lords are laughing all the way to the Bank of Delmarva. Mike Dunn should be proud of his family. The senior citizens will not see anything from these crooks. JUST MY OPINION ONLY
Every county resident needs to fill the in boxes of their council representatives. Especially David MacLeod who represents a good part of the city limits. Demand they do not participate in this tax deferral for Tom Ruark and his band of thieves.
jtcannon@wicomicocounty.org
wmccain@wicomicocounty.org
ssamplehughes@wicomicocounty.org District 1
sprettyman@wicomicocounty.org District 2
gbartkovich@wicomicocounty.org District 3
mac603@comcast.net District 4
jholloway@wicomicocounty.org. District 5
mcreamer@wicomicocounty.org Council Administrator
Developers have it made. When profits are huge, they keep all of the money. When profits drop, they ask for and get subsidies. The rest use our savings, tighten our belts, whatever. We don't go involve ourselves in new projects and hope someone will bail us out.
Well, if I remember the meeting of last night correctly, didn't this guy doing the talking say something about the Senior housing rent, supposed to be $300 a month per unit, would now have to go to $600 a month because of the "depressed real estate market" or some such excuse? By the time they get through with this project, Salisbury will be broke more than it now is and the rent will be about $1,000 a month. What a joke, and we elected this bunch to office(save the two ladies on our side).
A. Goetz
They must use bubba math at the Daily Crimes. they are quoted in the paper 2/26/2008 that the subsidy is $287,000 yet in the same paragraph they say that the developers want $100 per unit, times 80 units for 40 years. what a bunch of idiots, they can't find a scoop with both hands, a roadmap and throw in a seeing eye dog to boot. somebody buy them morons a calculator, guess they ran out of fingers and toes and just pulled those numbers out of their collective butts
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