I Swear

Everybody Swears But Barrie, and Lynn Really Likes To Do It

Let’s hope – but please don’t hold your breath – that at the City Council meeting last night (May 21) we heard the final budget blather by Barrie Tilghman in her role as Salisbury’s mayor. And the rude insult she bestowed upon City residents who attended what was proclaimed to be a public hearing for citizen input, beginning at 6 PM.

At that time we were greeted by live and vintage Barriespeak, not for just a couple or even 5 or so minutes, but for almost a full half hour, during which she gave her typical breathlessly delivered spiel of BS.

But that was not the only insult directed at those who came to speak rather than listen to more BS by Barrie. Louise Smith decreed that citizens could not speak their mind about Barrie’s proposed budget unless they had first been sworn to tell the truth. That occurred after she had allowed Barrie to proceed without that prerequisite.

Several speakers objected to such obvious intimidation. But Lynn Cathcart, a former member of the Council who apparently likes that “touch,” defended the requirement of being sworn for no particular reason.

The speakers, Ms. Cathcart excepted, were uniformly critical of the budget and/or the manner in which it has been presented by the mayor. Her revised sewer and water budget – proposing rate increases that would total about 65% during the next few years – presented by Barrie this week (more than a month late) drew the greatest fire. Next in line was her reduced funding for road replacement – Barrie wants to have greater funding for the mayor’s office, including a huge pay raise for a certain person, rather than that road work.

The only speaker who seemed to support Barrie’s budget was Ms. Cathcart. However, she did not do so with anywhere near the zeal that her husband displayed when he supported Barrie’s double-digit tax increase last year. Do you think that Lynn wants to follow in Barrie’s footsteps?