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Council women Terry Cohen and Debbie Campbell held their own Budget Meeting Wednesday evening with concerned citizens at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Salisbury.
While the meeting was well attended, the topics were absolutely mind boggling. Are YOU aware that YOU the taxpayer are fronting $40.00 incorporated into your taxes for each and every City Employee to hold a summer picnic? NO, I'm NOT talking about a Christmas Party, that's a whole other issue. I need to expand on this. $40.00 per person! FOR A FREAKIN PICNIC? You could go to Crisfield and eat all you can eat crabs and whatever for $40.00 a person!
Were you aware that Travelers Insurance came to the City and told them that they could easily save the City 20% on their Insurance Bill and Pick and the Mayor refused to hear them out? Oh, wait till you hear why! Before I give you that, the City's liability insurance just went up 77%!!!!!! That's right. The Insurance for the City recently was $51,000.00. It just went up to $254,856.00 OK, who's the President of LGIT? Do you even know what LGIT is? That's the Insurance Company the City buys their Insurance through. Your MAYOR is the President of LGIT!!!!!!!
You know those 5 Fire Trucks that are being purchased? Remember how the Fire Department claimed they were replacing the American LaFrance units because they filed Chapter 11? Well, they're back in business and reorganized. No problem with parts or service, none whatsoever. Nevertheless, the two LaFrance vehicles See & Gordy want to replace, GUESS HOW NEW THEY ARE?????? They're so new that they still OWE money on the financing and they're already replacing them!
OK, here's something no one thought about. Now you're at the new Fire Station 16, an alarm goes off for a fire out by Sam's Club. What route do you take? Everyone spent all that time worrying about how to get Downtown but have YOU traveled Isabella Street lately? Now think about traveling that street with all the new concrete barriers everywhere and a Fire Truck up your a$$! How do you get out of the way? How does several cars heading towards Rt. 13 get out of the way? They Cant!
Did you know the Mayor dropped ALL funding for Creek Watchers?
Want to know more??? Get Involved!
I did get an opportunity to express my thoughts and I stated that I felt the Council should push for a Line Item Budget once every 4 years. We ALL know they're not going to go for this every year. So compromise and make it once every 4 years. What do you think?
UPDATE:
"Mr. Albero -
I wanted to correct my error in citing a 77% increase. The calculation was
a function of the way that the figures were presented in the budget. At
yesterday's meeting, Ms. Oland explained that the increase is 1%. However,
the total amount for non-health insurance lines is in excess of $503,000
rather than $254,856. A 10% savings would be $50,000, and a 20% savings
$100,000. If savings are possible why wouldn't we shop for the best rate
for the services that we need? The same applies to other services like
banking. Yesterday, the council agreed to put some of the services out for
bid during the first and second quarters of FY09.
Thank you for allowing me to correct my error. I apologize for any
confusion that was created by the calculation.
Debbie Campbell"
And the escalation in the City's debt that was disclosed is absolutely astounding (and troubling).
ReplyDeleteWith each and every new piece of info that comes to light--I think the line item should be EVERY year.
ReplyDeleteIf you ask for 4 years you'll end up with 10.
Fiscal responsibility and accountability needs to be demonstrated continually.
Nalagirl
When I move that share of my debt will be left behind
ReplyDeleteLine Item. Every year. Program budget is software that generalizes categories which are MOST used. These "program budgets" CAN and SHOULD be edited to contain LINE ITEMS. It ain't rocket science, folks.
ReplyDeleteYou might not think this is a budget issue, but it will be. Nobody wants to say anything about the bridge over the river by the dam, next to the old Fire Training building on Isabella St.. There has been a weight restriction on that bridge for decades. That is a City Street, so who will have to replace it when it collapses or becomes unsafe for travel because of the weight of the Fire equipment. What will be the route then to the North end? That is another, I don't care because I just want it to last until I am gone expense.
ReplyDeleteWow! This administration is in a lot worse shape than I originally thought. No "line item budget" every four years is going to help out with the mess this administration has made of our city finances. We definately need a yearly "line item budget" or as someone has said a program budget with line items included with each program. How in h*** does this women (the mayor) get away with buying over priced insurance, especially if she (or her husband) is involved in the insurance company, as is stated in the post? Isn't that against the city charter, for her to make money on the city tax payers backs? I am blown away by these revelations!
ReplyDeleteA. Goetz
Get a list of the towns that use LGIT -- many do not.
ReplyDeleteActually, the faster route to the north end for fire apparatus is to use lake to jersey and bypass the traffic..
ReplyDeleteIf the mayor is the president of the insurance company the city
ReplyDeletedeals with , then she is guilty
of a conflict of interest. Thus,
I would think that this should
be reason enough to have her booted
out of her position! Git rid of that stealing bitch .
Jersey to Lake to Naylor Mill is the faster route if at an off-time of day.
ReplyDeleteDuring rush hours, when the lines are stacked in all directions, it's a given that half of Salisbury would burn before a firetruck could get through that congested mess.
About Barrie's conflict, it seems that many members of the board of trustees for LGIT are city-county officials/staff/attorneys, plus a few others. I guess because it's a Local Govt. pool, there are local govt. people on the board of trustees.
ReplyDeleteHere's the link:
http://www.lgit.org/about/board.htm
Even with that said, I find the mayor's and council majority's unwillingness to look at saving money on insurance to be, well, smelly.
Looks like the insurance company
ReplyDeletethe city is dealing with is also
insuring the city of Cambridge.
The mayor is involved in that also.
What a scam!!!
No more creek watchers means no one will know about the illegal night dumpings of sewage.
ReplyDelete