During last night's Salisbury Council meeting, the fight over whether to appropriate an additional $28,000 for City Attorney Paul Wilber came with a fish dinner. Refusing to provide answers to most of the specific questions asked by Councilwomen Terry Cohen and Debbie Campbell, Mayor Barrie Tilghman and the members of her City Council Rubber Stamp (Louise Smith, Gary Comegys and Shanie Shields) hemmed, hawed, and used various red herrings to avoid the obvious: Tilghman's gross mismanagement of the city's affairs has resulted in overspending by the City Attorney.
Fortunately for Salisbury's taxpayers, a super majority was needed to appropriate new funds. The ordinance fell on first reading by a 3-2 vote in favor of appropriation.
The most recent case in point was tens of thousands of dollars spent taking a no-win case to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. Not only did the city lose the case, Tilghman's crew lost to a city landlord appearing pro se.
While the ultimate decision to pursue such matters falls squarely on Tilghman, there was none of her usual "I take full responsibility" rap. Part of Wilber's responsibility is to strenuously advise Tilghman NOT to pursue such matters. Perhaps he did, but more likely Wilber just wanted to keep riding the Tilghman gravy train (at the expense of Salisbury taxpayers). Wilber may be a city taxpayer, but he's being reimbursed for his taxes, in spades.
Comegys and Shields both tried to swing the debate away from the many foibles of the administration and Wilber by claiming that "something could be done later, but the city needs legal advice". This would be true enough, EXCEPT once Cohen or Campbell fell for such a tactic their vote would not be needed any longer and there would never be any reform.
Council had already appropriated $40,000 over the budget amount for Wilber's office. Tilghman requested this additional $28,000, and had previously requested a total of $88,000 over the amount budgeted for the City Attorney.
Do not be surprised if (when?) we find out that the Tilghman gravy train will keep on rolling for Wilber. Tilghman and Comegys will make political hay out of some truly necessary project that is delayed because of no money for legal advice. However, you can be pretty sure that if Tilghman wants something from Wilber, she'll spend the money whether appropriated or not.
My advice to Cohen and Campbell is to not vote for any supplemental appropriation in the future IF it can be shown that Tilghman spent funds on items not previously appropriated by council.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Fortunately for Salisbury's taxpayers, a super majority was needed to appropriate new funds. The ordinance fell on first reading by a 3-2 vote in favor of appropriation.
The most recent case in point was tens of thousands of dollars spent taking a no-win case to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. Not only did the city lose the case, Tilghman's crew lost to a city landlord appearing pro se.
While the ultimate decision to pursue such matters falls squarely on Tilghman, there was none of her usual "I take full responsibility" rap. Part of Wilber's responsibility is to strenuously advise Tilghman NOT to pursue such matters. Perhaps he did, but more likely Wilber just wanted to keep riding the Tilghman gravy train (at the expense of Salisbury taxpayers). Wilber may be a city taxpayer, but he's being reimbursed for his taxes, in spades.
Comegys and Shields both tried to swing the debate away from the many foibles of the administration and Wilber by claiming that "something could be done later, but the city needs legal advice". This would be true enough, EXCEPT once Cohen or Campbell fell for such a tactic their vote would not be needed any longer and there would never be any reform.
Council had already appropriated $40,000 over the budget amount for Wilber's office. Tilghman requested this additional $28,000, and had previously requested a total of $88,000 over the amount budgeted for the City Attorney.
Do not be surprised if (when?) we find out that the Tilghman gravy train will keep on rolling for Wilber. Tilghman and Comegys will make political hay out of some truly necessary project that is delayed because of no money for legal advice. However, you can be pretty sure that if Tilghman wants something from Wilber, she'll spend the money whether appropriated or not.
My advice to Cohen and Campbell is to not vote for any supplemental appropriation in the future IF it can be shown that Tilghman spent funds on items not previously appropriated by council.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
Powered by ScribeFire.
Kudos to Stu Leer for standing up and telling everyone that Barrie Tilghman point blank told him she would get even with him for not supporting her in an election. Bottom line is that the city spent in the 30,000-40,000 dollar range over an $800 issue. This is not the way city taxpayers want their money spent mayor! If Gary Comegys will deliberately lie on PAC14 about a parking violation JUST IMAGINE the other lies he has told?What is the total dollar amount currently budgeted to pay for WIlburs services? If Mayor Tilghman didn't initiate,participate and advocate so many illegal activities the city wouldn't need such a large legal fund!!!
ReplyDeletethe city needs to hire its own in house attorney or put the work out for bids..otherwise Wilber will build another 600,000 home!
ReplyDeleteDon't let the BS involving the Historic Property Committee under FOB Randy Taylor distract attention from the BS involving the "Housing Appeal Board" run by FOB Richard Insley. Its travesty includes the rental home at 430 Pennsylvania Avenue (where one of those lacrosse players was living), which Insley and his cohorts have refused to close down.
ReplyDeleteMs. Truitt is right - "we can't afford Wilber"!
ReplyDeleteEveryone:
ReplyDeleteBe sure to catch the Council meeting last night when it is rerun on PAC14. A real eye-opener about the Barry Tilghman regime was stated by Mr. Leer. The City has just wasted thousands in legal fees for Mr. Wilber to lose in Court against Mr. Leer, who was his own attorney. Now Barrie needs more money to sic Wilber on persons who are on her special enemies list (the "Dirty Dozen").
Terry and Debbie were awesome last night!
ReplyDelete8:47 a.m. has it right:
"If Mayor Tilghman didn't initiate,participate and advocate so many illegal activities the city wouldn't need such a large legal fund!!!"
And 9:11 a.m.(how appropriate) is right about the Insley deal. I heard Bob Taylor mention it last night, and Terry popped in with June 2 being the hearing date. I think the time was 1:00 or 1:30??? Let's find out the time and place and pack the house.
The 4 to 2 "compromise" by the Dream Team screwed us all royally, as we knew it would.
G.A., thanks for the live running commentary. Wish I could get PAC14 where I am. Any time I get to see Terry and Debbie in action is better than the Super Bowl. I think the city could raise a lot of money if they would put these on DVD and sell them at Blockbuster!If the voters don't change the council make-up and mayor in 2009, then the "good people" who are trying to make a change should see the writing on the wall and abandon the town. When it becomes a ghost town, maybe people like BPT, Comegys, the Cathcarts, Dunn, and the like will wake up!
ReplyDeleteRed Herring is right. The sad part is this administration thinks they are doing good things for the city, either that or they are lining their own pockets somehow. I have advocated contracting out the attorneys work and or hiring a city solicitor to do all the work needed at a set reasonable fee. Why is it we can't get that done BPH?
ReplyDeleteA. Goetz
Red Herring is right. The sad part is this administration thinks they are doing good things for the city, either that or they are lining their own pockets somehow. I have advocated contracting out the attorneys work and or hiring a city solicitor to do all the work needed at a set reasonable fee. Why is it we can't get that done BPH?
ReplyDeleteA. Goetz
Internal City Attorney is the way to go, not contract out work bits and pieces among people who don't know the City's business. An internal attorney could do the bulk of the work and contract out for specialty cases. Now where would you find an attorney willing to give up private practice and go internal? Someone planning to retire or just starting out? You would need someone with integrity and the ability to say "no" and not be the "yes man" for whichever political winds are in office at the moment. You would need someone without too many ties, loyalties or obligations to the power structures within the City to be fair and effective. I think such an animal exists. Look at the County Bar roster and a few names should pop out.
ReplyDeleteThese figures are peanuts. What do you folks think the Town of Ocean City spends on it's outside counsel?
ReplyDeleteAnyone know?
Who cares what Ocean City spends on legal counsel? They're a much richer city than we are and can afford it.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have another cop on the street than pay a stinkin' lawyer to defend half-a$$ cases to high courts needlessly.
Stu Leer for city attorney!
ReplyDelete