Misplacing over $10 million certainly doesn't seem to have bothered Salisbury Mayor Barrie Tilghman, or her cohorts on the city council - Louise Smith, Gary Comegys and Shanie Shields. Last night we learned that the Tilghman administration had again misappropriated funds and her "council leadership" only wanted to cover it up.
Misappropriation, defined as the illegal use of property or funds for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, is not only a violation of the city's charter, it is a violation of state law. Yet, Tilghman never hesitates to spend taxpayer money without proper appropriation by council. Why should she, when she carries a three person "rubber stamp" in her hip pocket that will approve almost any transgression?
Monday night the public learned that the Tilghman administration has again spent money that wasn't appropriated. Councilwoman Debbie Campbell asked the council to add an emergency item to the agenda to address this matter. If there was any legitimate reason for the misappropriation, why was the Mayor so testy? More importantly, why did Smith, Comegys and Shields refuse to even discuss the matter?
Perhaps there was a legitimate reason for the expenditure. If so, Tilghman merely needed to ask for a supplemental appropriation. It certainly isn't a a major undertaking. Yet, for some reason the administration and Tilghman's rubber stamp want another two weeks to put together a better sounding story.
Was there any mention in this morning's Daily Times? Of course not. It seems that misappropriation of funds is only front page news if it happens on the Wicomico County side of the GOB.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, fiscal policy, misappropriation, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields, Debbie Campbell, Daily Times, Gannett, media
Misappropriation, defined as the illegal use of property or funds for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, is not only a violation of the city's charter, it is a violation of state law. Yet, Tilghman never hesitates to spend taxpayer money without proper appropriation by council. Why should she, when she carries a three person "rubber stamp" in her hip pocket that will approve almost any transgression?
Monday night the public learned that the Tilghman administration has again spent money that wasn't appropriated. Councilwoman Debbie Campbell asked the council to add an emergency item to the agenda to address this matter. If there was any legitimate reason for the misappropriation, why was the Mayor so testy? More importantly, why did Smith, Comegys and Shields refuse to even discuss the matter?
Perhaps there was a legitimate reason for the expenditure. If so, Tilghman merely needed to ask for a supplemental appropriation. It certainly isn't a a major undertaking. Yet, for some reason the administration and Tilghman's rubber stamp want another two weeks to put together a better sounding story.
Was there any mention in this morning's Daily Times? Of course not. It seems that misappropriation of funds is only front page news if it happens on the Wicomico County side of the GOB.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Technorati Tags: Maryland, Salisbury, politics, Salisbury politics, fiscal policy, misappropriation, Barrie Tilghman, Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, Shanie Shields, Debbie Campbell, Daily Times, Gannett, media
6 comments:
Misappropriation of funds is a violation of the City Charter and State law. These guys should be prosecuted. Here's yet another reason to sign the recall petition. Further, send the evidence to the State Attorney General's office and request they all be prosecuted. To refuse to even discuss this is a gross violation of the public trust!
Good post. Thank goodness for Debbie Campbell. She has brought so much to light, and gone through hell to do it.
From the talk last night, the checks may have been for real and necessary expenses, but they weren't approved or tracked. In other words nobody knows what's in the bank account. Sorry ass way to run a government.
When Cohen said one of the checks was for insurance in case of financial fraud, I just about choked.
No small irony there.
If you always do what you've
always done , your gonna get
what you've always got!
Doesn't the finance dept know what bills are recurring? Electric, water, sewer, INSURANCE? Why weren't they submitted in the budget from the start? Pam Oland continues to amaze me with her method of accounting and her excuses when caught. How did she ever get her CPA license? Better yet, how does she maintain her CPA license?
Well, this did not surprize me too much. Business as usual for the mayor and her friends on the council. This is far from the first time they have gone against the chrater and state laws for such.
A. Goetz
Wicomico County and Salisbury have become the laughingstock of the State of Maryland -- a new revelation almost every day -- landfill theft, "missing" accounts and funds, audit errors and omissions, and Council majority coverup for the mayor. Where's that recall petition for Barrie, Bubba and Louweasel.
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