Think back to the beginning of February. The Salisbury city audit had just come out. The audit communication read like a financial horror story. Over $10 million was misplaced.
If you listened to Salisbury Council members Louise Smith and Gary Comegys then, they were the friends of the taxpayers. They were going to make sure that the city's Department of Internal Services (DIS) was going to start doing their jobs properly. Accounts would be reconciled on time.
What has really happened?
By their own admission, the only accounts that have been reconciled since the beginning of the fiscal year have been the cash and investment accounts. Those have only been reconciled through December. By their own admission, the city can't balance its own checkbook. But according to Comegys, this doesn't matter. According to Comegys the taxpayers of Salisbury should look forward and not back.
Why? If citizens actually were made aware of how the Tilghman administration (with their knowing accomplices Smith, Comegys and Shanie Shields) was managing the city's finances their would be an uproar. That's why Comegys wants people to ignorantly trust him and his cohorts and just move forward. Looking back to the facts is simply too scary a proposition.
Monday night we witnessed a full blown brawl where Comegys, Smith and Mayor Barrie Tilghman tag teamed Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen to draw attention from the fact that the city can't balance its own checkbook nor is Tilghman willing to follow simple laws that state that money must be appropriated before she can spend it.
True to form, Smith spent the evening interrupting Campbell and Cohen at every turn. Comegys attacked Campbell and Cohen, but with no interruption from Smith. Tilghman boo-hooed that her staff was being attacked. All as subterfuge to keep the taxpayers from getting access to how much money the city is spending.
It is unfortunate, but the taxpayers of Salisbury are getting what they deserve. When their taxes are raised again, they will have no one to blame but themselves.
cross posted on Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, fiscal policy, taxation, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields, Debbie Campbell, Terry Cohen
If you listened to Salisbury Council members Louise Smith and Gary Comegys then, they were the friends of the taxpayers. They were going to make sure that the city's Department of Internal Services (DIS) was going to start doing their jobs properly. Accounts would be reconciled on time.
What has really happened?
By their own admission, the only accounts that have been reconciled since the beginning of the fiscal year have been the cash and investment accounts. Those have only been reconciled through December. By their own admission, the city can't balance its own checkbook. But according to Comegys, this doesn't matter. According to Comegys the taxpayers of Salisbury should look forward and not back.
Why? If citizens actually were made aware of how the Tilghman administration (with their knowing accomplices Smith, Comegys and Shanie Shields) was managing the city's finances their would be an uproar. That's why Comegys wants people to ignorantly trust him and his cohorts and just move forward. Looking back to the facts is simply too scary a proposition.
Monday night we witnessed a full blown brawl where Comegys, Smith and Mayor Barrie Tilghman tag teamed Councilwomen Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen to draw attention from the fact that the city can't balance its own checkbook nor is Tilghman willing to follow simple laws that state that money must be appropriated before she can spend it.
True to form, Smith spent the evening interrupting Campbell and Cohen at every turn. Comegys attacked Campbell and Cohen, but with no interruption from Smith. Tilghman boo-hooed that her staff was being attacked. All as subterfuge to keep the taxpayers from getting access to how much money the city is spending.
It is unfortunate, but the taxpayers of Salisbury are getting what they deserve. When their taxes are raised again, they will have no one to blame but themselves.
cross posted on Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, fiscal policy, taxation, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields, Debbie Campbell, Terry Cohen
30 comments:
No wonder they didn't want to do a line by line budget approval. I wonder just how many "others", are in the whole budget.
I'll forgive G.A.'s unfortunate (and unusual) homophone error..."THERE would be an uproar"
J/K!
anyway, the line of the night came from Cohen---"Either enforce that policy of yours or rip it up!"
Caldwell's comments were dead on as well.
Tilghman was about as absurd as I have ever seen her (when she was somewhat sober).
When C & C moved to take care of the hydrilla by shifting money from the "other" account in the Mayor's special budget, she didn't even know what they were talking about.
It was obvious that Smith and Comegys were trying to make it look like Campbell and Cohen are against all kinds of "goodies" because they want to see where the City really stands (and oppose the big bonus -- almost $90,000 -- for Wilber).
Thank goodness Shanie didn't have much to say.
It was like watching a circus on PAC-14 tonight. More entertaining than regular TV.
Kudos to Campbell and Cohen for standing their ground. They tried at every turn to compromise and vote on each appropriation line by line. As we all knew would happen, vote 3-2. It happened so often the ladies from Schumaker Woods even laughed at the Rubber Stamp team.
I want to know, if we have budgeted well over $200,000 for Paul Wilber why is he anticipating another $88,000 in legal fees? Comegys said it cost $30,000 for one case a citizen dared to file against the city. So where is the rest of the money that was budgeted? What other legal work has he done that ate up the balance of the budgeted amount?
They don't want to compromise and they damn sure don't want unity. They want to just rush through everything without questioning anything. Shanie is never prepared and has no clue what they are talking about most of the time.
Gary tried to slam C&C about showing up for work sessions but Terry got him good when she said he gave an out of town funeral as a reason to not be able to attend a scheduled work session when the TRUTH is he was at an MML dinner in Rock Hall. I guess it was the funeral of a fish if that is what he had for dinner.
To Mrs Campbell and Mrs Cohen, THANK YOU.
It's outrageous that Louweasel lets Comegys and Shields throw mud at Ms. Campbell and Ms. Cohen and when they respond tells them to shut up because they are being rude, etc. Smith is disgusting.
Paul Wilbur is raping the taxpayers What the he$$ is in the "privleged and confidential" memo from December? Debbie and Terry you are awesome, and I thank you form the bottom of my heart.
EXACTLY, WHAT CAN WE THE TAXPAYERS DO? You keep saying, it's our fault.
Got this from the DD:
7:13 AM 3/25/2008
Question is, which came first, the chicken or the egg?
On one hand, administration expects to have more time to answer questions, yet more than a month isn't enough time for most questions. Give the questions prior to meetings so we can "prepare our answers", says the mayor. Get them on the agenda, efforts, which, we all know is always shot down in 3 to 2 voting.
On the other hand, council(except those who ALWAYS have a predetermined vote) would like to have "briefs" sooner than just an hour and a half prior to sessions. Who can blame them. INFORMED decision, means exactly that. Why do certain members of the council have their minds made up before an item is even discussed?
Once again, a member goes to great lengths of discussion FOLLOWING a vote favored by his side. Yet other members are reprimanded by the president for what she deems excessive discussion before the vote.
Politic-ing, perhaps?
The reference to a windshield & rear view mirror was almost a good analogy. While you need to look ahead to see where you're going, the blind cannot see & should NOT be driving, in the first place. Weather(whether to or not in the case of the vote) can obstruct your view. You must be prepared for that which you cannot see.
One needs to observe the "rear view" from time to time, so something doesn't hit you from behind. You might not be able to pass.
From what I saw, the mayor's accusations were unfounded. No one was accusing anyone of anything. Just requesting information in a timely manner so informed decisions can be made. Seems to me she wants the same thing; questions in a timely manner.
An aside, Ms. Shields should move her mike if she's gonna go "umm, umm, umm" following every "opener".
I am SO sorry that I can't get PAC-14 where I am. I will try to get a copy of the tape when next I am around the area. To Terry and Debbie, YOU GO GIRLS! To the weasel, mare, bubba and shameful, keep it up. You just dig yourselves a deeper hole every time you try to make T & D look bad.
What costs were 1000 a day from wilbur?
Have you noticed that Wilber will never commit himself to any question asked!!
Why does Shanie even attend these meetings? She has zero input!
What I have gathered is that Paul Wilbur "crafted" the ordinances for the city that contain enough wiggle room for a Mack truck , essentially for the landlords. When citizens challenge the enforcement of the ordinances he represents the landlords, on the city taxpayers dime. Talk about conflict of interests! His incompetence ensures him that he double-bills the city taxpayer. He should be brought before the judicial ethics board and disbarred.
Why is it okay for Gary Comegys to skip a meeting and lie that he went to a funeral when he was really attending another function? If he lies about something so easily disproved just imagine how he lies about other things not so obvious? Both Comegys and Shields complete lack of insight or logic when it comes to manging the city taxpayer money leaves no wonder that they have both had financial woes-bankruptcy and failure to pay child support for Comegys, and mortgage foreclosure for Shanie. What a farce.
Geez, Joe - man, stay on 'em. yer doin a bang bang job keeping all of informed of the larcenies committed by this - this - "mayor" - or should we say Capt Ahab? arrogant, self-serving byatch! and as you say again, Joe - the residents of salisbury are getting just what they deserve if they don't toss this BIOTCH down the road, and her cronies along with her. i hate to say it, but i couldn't be present and listen to her and dat other biotch smith flap at the yap. i'd just haveta beak proper decorum and cross the room and slap both of 'em inna kissers. that's what they need.
give 'em hell, Joe - i'm talking to all that will listen. keep up the good work!!!
I'm just trying to get caught up with this issue....do I understand that this Wilbur guy is getting $250k a year and STILL has a private practice going? For a quarter of a mil we can't get a lawyer whose only job is US?
Thanks Ms. Cohen and Ms. Campbell.
I only wish that you were in a government that appreciated you, and you could feel the pleasure of doing a good job and being held in high esteem by your constituents.
I am embarrassed by the Mayor, and the three others, they are truly stupid. Stupid. I previously thought that there was some level of intelligence in the hiding of money and the crooked deals, but not after last night, they are all plain DUMB, STUPID, and Do Not Care. The Mayor not knowing what 18,000 dollars was for in her personal mayoral account was beyond the pale. The comments and the attempts to circumvent the issues of not knowing what the balances of expenditures were was the most idiotic and dumb statements I have heard in government in 40 years. Mr. Wilber smerking at his WRONG intrepretation of the rules was also a classic.
Why don't the people of Salisbury care?
Isn't the extra Wilbur money for the hiring of an additional attorney, Mitchell, because of the potential "conflicts" of interests in the audit? Or that's in case the city is sued? I forget. Something like that.
Bob Caldwell deserves a Thank You.
He is a good citizen, and too a patriot.
Thanks Bob for standing up for others, thanks for standing up for the citizens, thanks for the true chitizenship that you exhibit, and last night for calling Louise the low life that she is.
Last night's council meeting made me sick to my stomach. To ask for the book balance before spending money is prudent, wise and dutiful.
Mayor Tilghman is brain dead, as are several who work for her, Why would anyone not want to check the balance ? It makes no sense....none.(unless of course, one has something to hide)
Evidence is mounting that there is enourmous mis-managemet of our tax dollars. Maybe there is an Elephant in the room that no one is willing to acknowledge. Could there be something worth hiding? Are they hoping to continue until the Election? and continue the shell game and the excuses until they can "quit"?
Lets get busy folks, maybe we can shed some light on this "dark little secret" I thought I smelled a rat, but after last night I am sure I smell and elephant.
Wilbur wants an additional $88,000 for ANTICIPATED expenses. Well hells bells, I'd like to have a quarter of a years income in advance for anticipated expenses too. Instead of wanting in one hand and spitting in the other I live by my budget. If I overspend before the end of my fiscal year then shame on me, I do without. I would never think of taking money budgeted for inventory and spend it on advertising, that is just plain stupid. Once I've advertised where do I get the money for inventory?
IDIOTS.
To the ladies Campbell & Cohen you have my most heartfelt gratitude. We realize you can only do so much with a consistent 3-2 vote, at least we know you do make every effort on behalf of the citizens, far more than can be said for your colleagues.
Cohen and Campbell really put those other incompetents (and that's the whole bunch-- Barrie, Wilber, Oland, Pick, Gary, Louise, Shanie) in their place last night. They did it with facts and class--Gary sank to a new low.
Get out of the mud and get up to the level of intelligence of Cohen and Campbell--that means, Shanie, Gary and Louise, you must do your homework and not warm the seats.
The weasel, last night said "my experience is in education". What happened to her experience in auditing and compliance? The only experience she obviously has is in following orders. She couldn't think her way out of the bathroom.
Smith's experience as a teacher makes the rest of us former teachers puke. We are ashamed to have her tell anyone that she used to teach. And I didn't see PAC-14. If Bob Caldwell actually called Smith a "low life," does this mean he'll get a nasty letter threatening to stifle him or have him removed because of discourteous behave, a la the letter Donna got? Just once I'd like to see Smith live up to her own COde of Conduct and treat both Campbell and Cohen with respect, as well as choot down Comegys when he attacks. But the puppet will never do that, would she? Might make Czarina Barrie angry.
weezie couldn't think her way INTO a bathroom, either.
If I have to hear Gary excuse himself from governing one more time... ("ah doun't think its howr job to look ert these nomboors")
It's funny how Smith insists that (certain)councilpeople with actual standing request the floor, but Tilghman and Pick can butt in any time they like.
And If you're brave enough to speak at the podium during a meeting, do me a favor and insist Smith address you as "Mister, Missus or Miss"
The mayor and 3/5's of the council as well as some of the other members of the city's team are absolutely a disgrace. Thank God for PAC 14. And than God for the continued diligence of Mrs. Cohen and (Campbell). I can only pray that more and more citizens tune in so they can see for themselves why so many of us are outraged about how this city does its business and treats the average citizen.
To the mayor, Mr. Pick, Mrs Oland, Mr. Wilbur, and the soviet bloc on the council--we are sick of your stonewalling and bullying.
Mr. Caldwell--Beautifully stated last night in your comments.
Nalagirl.
Nalagirl your comments are right on target. Did anyone notice what I saw? That Shanie was not at the meeting until about the time for the budget battle. I wonder if the mayor or someone called her in so that they would be sure to have the usual 3-2 vote and get the budget through the way they wanted it? These people have no conscience or sense civility! Time to get the recall petition going and be done with them!
A. Goetz
Ms.Cohen, Ms. Campbell, hats off to you for your efforts, your class, and trying to push cars uphill - with a rope. Not easy. especially when it seems that all of salisbury doesn't seem to care, or simply is not aware of what is going on here. i am telling everyone that will listen what is happeneing to THEIR tax dollars in city "government" here. more like Hitler and his bullies when they took over the streets. good thing barrie the buzzard doesn't have any real power. not that she doesn't have enough. Joe is doing all he can to let the peple know what is going on here. all they need do is get their heads ouuta their collective asses. period.
Anonymous said...
Have you noticed that Wilber will never commit himself to any question asked!!
That's the core definition of "lawyer."
Why does Shanie even attend these meetings? She has zero input!
So she can vote. If she didn't, there would always be a tie!
8:08 AM
Bubba doesn't like to deal with facts, all that reading and his 4th grade grammer.
Any-who, hogs like to wollow in the mud.
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