The Salisbury City Council’s agenda for Tuesday night (May 27) includes yet another ordinance to amend this year’s budget to provide more legal fees for Paul Wilber’s law firm for being the “City Attorney.” If passed, it would increase their fees this year to more than $300,000 from the City’s “general fund.” Just a few weeks ago, the general fund budget was amended to provide another $40,000 for those legal fees, and apparently Wilber’s firm gets other fees through other City fund budgets.
The situation is out of control. The City needs review and revise its arrangements for legal services ASAP and before next year’s budget is passed – the Mayor’s proposed budget for next year includes even more money for Wilber’s fees.
Any additional stipend for the current fiscal year should be rejected by the Council. Let Wilber and his firm do Barrie’s bidding for free for a few weeks. He and his partners know better than to bite the hand that feeds them and their families.
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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.
ReplyDeleteHow 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?
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:28
ReplyDeleteIt'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.
7:28 & 7:36 --
ReplyDeleteAnd it's why we can't let Bubba Comegys ever become "R NECKS MARE".
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?
ReplyDeleteSo The city taxpayers paid for the city attorney to defend William Jones who owns 430 Pennsylvania Ave, but lives in Ocean City? City residents are paying for the defense of Worcester county landlords to break the law? Dear lord, is there no end to the corruption ?
ReplyDeleteConflict of Interest
ReplyDeleteWill we see another 3-2 vote? Will the taxpayers be protected from the council majority? Will the C&C sisters buckle under pressure? Stay tuned folks. Same rats lair (GOB), same rat time (6pm).
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it take four votes to pass a budget amendment?
ReplyDeleteIf so, I hope C&C stand their ground. I feel sorry for them having to be the only two with brains and consciences at that table (besides the city clerk people).
How stupid of the city to pay so much for a part time attorney, when a staff attorney would represent ONLY their interests, 100% of the time, and would most likely cost less. Why on earth would a logical bunch of people elect to do it this way?
ReplyDeleteTune 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.
ReplyDeleteWho is this "Dirty Dozen" that we keep hearing about? I've been reading SBYNEWS for just a couple of months, but all of a sudden there are regular references to them. Who are they and what have they done?
ReplyDeleteThe dirty dozen are a group of citizens that opposed the mayors 17% tax hike. Because they dared to collect signatures on a petition to take the tax increase to referendum the mayor stood on television and called these hard working, taxpaying, voting citizens The Dirty Dozen. Her cohort Gary Comegys called them CAVE people in an email.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that a lovely way to refer to your constituents?
Actually, the Dirty Dozen moniker came long before the tax hike. It was right after four citizens took the city and its legal counsel on for an illegal rezoning of the Salisbury Mall property -- and won in court. That was Sept. '06.
ReplyDeleteCitizens kept speaking out on issues. So, the "regulars" became known as "The Dirty Dozen," the mayor's way of dismissing citizens as just a few complainers.
Then the tax hike referendum came, and wow! The Dirty Dozen was more like the Dirty 200 Dozen.
I am sure the two "C" ladies will vote the right way for us tax payers and since it apparently does take four votes for a budget adjustment, there is hope. Not only wioll BPT be pushing for the passage of her budget, but Louise and Gary and Shanie will be right there too - pushing to get it passed. Stand by your guns Debbie and Terry! Also, what is this I hear that MR. Cathcart is planning on running for Debbie's seat on council come the elections? Surely, hea has to be kidding?
ReplyDeleteA. Goetz
Does anyone know what the budget for legal services is for the Town of Ocean City? Something tells me that Salisbury's figures are mere peanuts by comparison.
ReplyDeleteI don't care what OC pays for legal fees.
ReplyDeleteWe pay too damn much for what we get here in Salisbury.
There might have been a time when Salisbury was smaller that a part-time attorney could do what was required for the city. That is no longer the case so hire a full-time city attorney.
ReplyDeleteIf everything they do didn't borderline on larceny they wouldn't need an atorney most of the time
ReplyDeleteThis "program budget" is exactly how MILLIONS of dollars are NOT in the correct accounts, if recorded at all, "floating", a good setting up for fraud.
ReplyDelete