The dynamic duo of Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman and her lackey-in-chief, Councilwoman Louise Smith, appear to have concocted a strategy to save their respective skins over what will probably be the worst financial audit in the memory of modern Salisbury. Their multi-front attack will also need the help of a compliant media.
Tilghman is claiming that she "bears full responsibility". Of course this is nonsense. Barrie doesn't TAKE responsibility, she merely claims to do so; but it sounds good. Rumor has it that Tilghman won't even bother showing up at today's council work session. Given the gravity of the situation, and the disgraceful state of the city's financial management, anything short of a child being on his or her deathbed is no excuse for not attending. We'll see at 4:30 this afternoon whether Tilghman shows.
Smith's role is more subtle, and convoluted. At first Smith attempted one of the classic Mike Dunn (her predecessor in the center chair) maneuvers - refusing to allow any questioning of the auditor or finance chief. Unfortunately for Louise, Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen would have none of that. Unlike Dunn, Smith simply didn't have the guts to risk an increasingly impatient media not toeing the Tilghman / Smith line.
Smith's next attempt was to adopt another Dunnesque tactic, to limit questions to five minutes per member. That one didn't fly either.
Smith (with the blessing of her boss, Barrie Tilghman) has now decided to claim that this matter is SO IMPORTANT that she will hold THREE work sessions to discuss the audit. Now, if Smith were an honest broker in city matters I would be applauding her. Unfortunately, I suspect that dark motives lurk beneath this seemingly responsible exterior.
Expect Smith to use her gavel freely to interrupt Campbell and Cohen during today's session. Expect Smith to claim that the council needs to "move on" and to claim that Campbell and Cohen will be given ample opportunity to ask relevant questions at subsequent meetings.
There is a rumor floating around that Smith wants to call for a closed session during the second work session. What could be the reason? Legal? No. Personnel? There you go.
I fully expect the unholy trinity of Smith, Councilman Gary Comegys and Councilwoman Shanie Shields to want to dump city finance chief Pam Oland. Think about it. It's a gift that keeps on giving for Tilghman and Smith.
Tilghman will have obviously agreed beforehand. She'll go on claiming to be responsible while sacrificing one of her sycophantic serfs. Smith gets to claim that "she's on top of the situation" and deflect attention from her disgraceful governance of council.
Tilghman will be able to basically shut down all meaningful debate on the pending budget, because there won't be a finance head to address questions regarding the impact of changes to Tilghman's budget. Without a finance chief, Tilghman can keep on with her bizarre brand of fiscal stewardship by claiming that things will get better, but they have to hire a new finance chief first.
In other words, the one individual primarily responsible for the current financial condition of Salisbury keeps her job by sacrificing someone who's greatest crime was to simply do as she was told.
There are just a few problems to this scenario. Once the council approves a department head, the ONLY input they have on that individual's tenure is through the budget process and through tough and thoughtful questioning in the Council Chambers. This of course, eliminates any real impact from Smith, Comegys or Shields who do little (or nothing) without Tilghman's prior consent.
While I am no fan of Pam Oland, her horrific job performance is primarily due to her inability to stand up to her boss. In this, she is no different than the City Attorney or the other department heads. I don't honestly believe that, left to her own devices, Oland is truly incompetent. Unfortunately for her, and the city, we will probably never find out.
Think for a moment what will happen if Tilghman sacrifices her finance chief two months before the budget must be presented and five months before the end of the fiscal year. Not only will things get worse than they already are, but the shenanigans will continue with a new chief because the people who truly are responsible for the current state of affairs are given a free pass.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Pam Oland
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Tilghman is claiming that she "bears full responsibility". Of course this is nonsense. Barrie doesn't TAKE responsibility, she merely claims to do so; but it sounds good. Rumor has it that Tilghman won't even bother showing up at today's council work session. Given the gravity of the situation, and the disgraceful state of the city's financial management, anything short of a child being on his or her deathbed is no excuse for not attending. We'll see at 4:30 this afternoon whether Tilghman shows.
Smith's role is more subtle, and convoluted. At first Smith attempted one of the classic Mike Dunn (her predecessor in the center chair) maneuvers - refusing to allow any questioning of the auditor or finance chief. Unfortunately for Louise, Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen would have none of that. Unlike Dunn, Smith simply didn't have the guts to risk an increasingly impatient media not toeing the Tilghman / Smith line.
Smith's next attempt was to adopt another Dunnesque tactic, to limit questions to five minutes per member. That one didn't fly either.
Smith (with the blessing of her boss, Barrie Tilghman) has now decided to claim that this matter is SO IMPORTANT that she will hold THREE work sessions to discuss the audit. Now, if Smith were an honest broker in city matters I would be applauding her. Unfortunately, I suspect that dark motives lurk beneath this seemingly responsible exterior.
Expect Smith to use her gavel freely to interrupt Campbell and Cohen during today's session. Expect Smith to claim that the council needs to "move on" and to claim that Campbell and Cohen will be given ample opportunity to ask relevant questions at subsequent meetings.
There is a rumor floating around that Smith wants to call for a closed session during the second work session. What could be the reason? Legal? No. Personnel? There you go.
I fully expect the unholy trinity of Smith, Councilman Gary Comegys and Councilwoman Shanie Shields to want to dump city finance chief Pam Oland. Think about it. It's a gift that keeps on giving for Tilghman and Smith.
Tilghman will have obviously agreed beforehand. She'll go on claiming to be responsible while sacrificing one of her sycophantic serfs. Smith gets to claim that "she's on top of the situation" and deflect attention from her disgraceful governance of council.
Tilghman will be able to basically shut down all meaningful debate on the pending budget, because there won't be a finance head to address questions regarding the impact of changes to Tilghman's budget. Without a finance chief, Tilghman can keep on with her bizarre brand of fiscal stewardship by claiming that things will get better, but they have to hire a new finance chief first.
In other words, the one individual primarily responsible for the current financial condition of Salisbury keeps her job by sacrificing someone who's greatest crime was to simply do as she was told.
There are just a few problems to this scenario. Once the council approves a department head, the ONLY input they have on that individual's tenure is through the budget process and through tough and thoughtful questioning in the Council Chambers. This of course, eliminates any real impact from Smith, Comegys or Shields who do little (or nothing) without Tilghman's prior consent.
While I am no fan of Pam Oland, her horrific job performance is primarily due to her inability to stand up to her boss. In this, she is no different than the City Attorney or the other department heads. I don't honestly believe that, left to her own devices, Oland is truly incompetent. Unfortunately for her, and the city, we will probably never find out.
Think for a moment what will happen if Tilghman sacrifices her finance chief two months before the budget must be presented and five months before the end of the fiscal year. Not only will things get worse than they already are, but the shenanigans will continue with a new chief because the people who truly are responsible for the current state of affairs are given a free pass.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Pam Oland
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8 comments:
Cato:
This is your best post to date (this year, at least).
Barrie is a cornered animal on this one, so we can expect her to respond most agressively. Oland better copy as much incriminating stuff as she can before Barrie and the three Scheme Team puppets slander and then fire her.
If Oland is not already sending her resume to potential employers, she will be as soon as she reads this post!
What are the odds that Oland communicated with BPT or Pick via email RE: problems with the general ledger? IF they toss Pammy into oncoming traffic, might she have some proof that these two knew about the problem early and often?
I hope Pam is smart enough to cut the Scheme Team off now, including communications with Dunn and Cathcart, they can't protect her. She had better spend the better part of today covering her ass because Barrie is coming to get her.
Pam now is your chance to save the city from Barrie. Hang her before she hangs you. Rest assured, the hangman is coming.
Pam--from one who knows personally Barrie's rage and revenge when she is cornered, please take it from me that (l) you should have seen this coming, but nevertheless (2) grab any emails or notes from Barrie that will show you made her and others aware and (3) start clearing out your desk. I am sure you were never so naive as not to have been archiving for months Item (2) above....
G.A., you are the very best when it comes to calculating and figuring out how this will play out. It's as though you have peeled away every layer of Barrie's perverse mind and she is laid bare (ugh, what a scarey mind-picture that is!). Here's the thing I would add: there needs to be one action taken by others that Barrie does not expect. My hope is that one thing would be that Louise sees the handwriting on the wall and cuts her ties completely with Barrie immediately. Barrie absolutely needs Louise to continue this City face. Louise's change of direction is all it would take to BEGIN to set things right. Alas, Louise is too blinded by Barrie to do so.
If Oland goes and for her own sanity she should resign and save what little credibility she has left.Who then will Salisubury hire, who with any ability would want to work for this group.
Maybe the City should just sub out the finance office to a reliable accounting firm. Opps, bad idea than Barrie and the 3 incompetants would have little control over the piggy bank.
Excellant annalysis Cato! Pam certainly is the key to all of this mess. She had better cut and run now and take all the info she has with her. What a book she could write. It could be a national best seller, since most communities have their politcal thieves in their midst.
A. Goetz
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