FLUSH
That's the sound you'll hear tonight as the Barrie Tilghman rubber stamp of Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, and Shanie Shields support over $100,000 of additional expenditures to come out of the Taxpayers' Surplus Account. As usual, Salisbury Mayor Tilghman WON'T be "taking full responsibility".
Most of this money will be appropriated because the Mayor and her crack team of bureaucrats (you know, the one's getting the big raises and title upgrades) simply forgot to budget for certain expenditures (like Retiree Healthcare). It's the $28,750 appropriating EVEN MORE tax dollars for City Attorney Paul Wilber that would shame almost anyone (except Tilghman and her rubber stamp).
Let's not forget that the city just awarded Wilber an additional $40,000 just a few weeks back. Let's also not forget that tax money going to Wilber is SO WELL SPENT!
Just last week, Louise Smith, et al had Wilber sit in on the public hearing for the budget. That was over $300 spent for NOTHING! It was a public hearing. No legislation would be considered. Since Smith doesn't allow questions to be answered from the public (unless it's to her advantage), Wilber certainly wasn't needed for that.
Now I'm sure that Tilghman and her crew will say that it was VITAL to have Wilber there. Even if it wasn't, it's only a few hundred dollars.
That's the problem with the Tilghman administration and a council majority that feels the need to approve every piece of legislation from the Mayor rather than actually legislate (in a responsible and thoughtful manner) and provide oversight. Remember, that was over $300 wasted on ONE ITEM, on ONE DAY! The hundreds add up to thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands.
To add insult to injury, look at Wilber's record as attorney for the city. In two of the highest profile cases that he's handled (supposedly for the taxpayer), Wilber lost. Not only did Wilber lose, but in one case he lost to a group of homemakers and retirees (the Old Mall Re-zoning Appeal) and in the most recent (defending abominable behavior by the city's Historic District Commission) he lost in both the Circuit and Appeals Courts to a slumlord who was reportedly appearing pro se (acting as his own attorney). That last one is reported to have cost the Salisbury taxpayers somewhere between $60,000 - $100,000.
Don't expect to read about that in the Daily Times.
That's the sound you'll hear tonight as the Barrie Tilghman rubber stamp of Louise Smith, Gary Comegys, and Shanie Shields support over $100,000 of additional expenditures to come out of the Taxpayers' Surplus Account. As usual, Salisbury Mayor Tilghman WON'T be "taking full responsibility".
Most of this money will be appropriated because the Mayor and her crack team of bureaucrats (you know, the one's getting the big raises and title upgrades) simply forgot to budget for certain expenditures (like Retiree Healthcare). It's the $28,750 appropriating EVEN MORE tax dollars for City Attorney Paul Wilber that would shame almost anyone (except Tilghman and her rubber stamp).
Let's not forget that the city just awarded Wilber an additional $40,000 just a few weeks back. Let's also not forget that tax money going to Wilber is SO WELL SPENT!
Just last week, Louise Smith, et al had Wilber sit in on the public hearing for the budget. That was over $300 spent for NOTHING! It was a public hearing. No legislation would be considered. Since Smith doesn't allow questions to be answered from the public (unless it's to her advantage), Wilber certainly wasn't needed for that.
Now I'm sure that Tilghman and her crew will say that it was VITAL to have Wilber there. Even if it wasn't, it's only a few hundred dollars.
That's the problem with the Tilghman administration and a council majority that feels the need to approve every piece of legislation from the Mayor rather than actually legislate (in a responsible and thoughtful manner) and provide oversight. Remember, that was over $300 wasted on ONE ITEM, on ONE DAY! The hundreds add up to thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands.
To add insult to injury, look at Wilber's record as attorney for the city. In two of the highest profile cases that he's handled (supposedly for the taxpayer), Wilber lost. Not only did Wilber lose, but in one case he lost to a group of homemakers and retirees (the Old Mall Re-zoning Appeal) and in the most recent (defending abominable behavior by the city's Historic District Commission) he lost in both the Circuit and Appeals Courts to a slumlord who was reportedly appearing pro se (acting as his own attorney). That last one is reported to have cost the Salisbury taxpayers somewhere between $60,000 - $100,000.
Don't expect to read about that in the Daily Times.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
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13 comments:
Don't they have to have four votes instead of three to pass this?
If so, then there is hope.
Some good comments from the previous post -- just below:
This is why we need to have the line item type budget. Barrie and her bobble heads are trying to do a bastardized version of a “program budget” that would allow all sorts of shenanigans by her without public disclosure or Council approval of the spending.
7:28 AM
How much did Wilber charge for fees in the recent appeal by a property owner (Stuart Lear-?) who served as his own lawyer and beat the City?
7:33 AM
Anon 7:28
It's also why we need to dump Barrie and Shameless in the election next year, and why it's time to kill the cash cow for Wilber's law firm.
7:36 AM
7:28 & 7:36 --
And it's why we can't let Bubba Comegys ever become "R NECKS MARE".
7:57 AM
And what was Wilber's fee in the case where the City supported the landlord of 430 Pennsylvania Avenue, where the SU lacrosse player lived who was just arrested for malicious destruction of homes and vehicles in that neighborhood?
8:02 AM
GA:
That appeal case with the landlord/attorney for himself (Stu Leer) could not possibly have resulted in a charge by Wilber of 60-100K. An approrpiate fee for such nonsense would be $10-12,000.
Maybe we will learn what he charged at the meeting tonight -- it's on PAC 14, live.
There's another gross waste of taxes on the agenda tonight -- another downtown revitalization study -- to be paid for with what's left in the "Contingency Fund".
I'm sure he's trying to beef up his account knowing that after the next election he is toast.
Another downtown revitalization study -- to be paid for with what's left in the "Contingency Fund".
Higher taxes and water sewer fee's aren't a good way to encourage downtown revitalization. Especially in this economy.
Wilber should be given a Performance Review--lost the mall case flat-out (but, hey, then got paid by the City to fix the Code because of the way the case was decided); lost to Mr. Leer; appears he cannot answer a direct question and only wants to 'research' it. What client would ever feel he had a good lawyer with that kind of record? He couldn't make a living if he had to rely on real clients!
Ms. Truitt is right -- "we can't afford Wilber"!
Dot Truitt is soooooo smart--she called it exactly right on the water/sewer capacity, asking how it could always be 80%. And then she calls Wilber out on his outrageous fees. We can't afford Barrie, Lore' or Wilber.
Tune in on PAC 14 tonight for a Oscar-winning performance by Barrie Tilghman -- no doubt it's all because of the Dirty Dozen that she wants to put more money in Wilber's bank account.
Like why is Wilber always there for the start of the Council meetings -- sometimes its almost an hour or more before there's any discussion about legislation.
I sure do hope Anon 9:15 is correct that it will take four votes for the budget to pass! You don't suppose Wilber will get to vote too?? What a waist of money having him as the city attorney. Barrie went and dumped the only good city attorney we ever had, one Bob Eaton. I also agree that the pay increases for Wilber and Lore are not needed, so lets kill them first thing! And get back to a line item budget as soon as possible!
A. Goetz
right in this economy is where wibur and chambers raises should have been nixed. this was the year to say no just a no brainer.
what has either done to get that much of a raise? with such short time at the trough?
Geez...makes you wonder why everyone at the council meet didn't have to be sworn in...
An opinion is an opinion. You cannot perjure yourself giving an opinion...
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