During yesterday's Wicomico County Council meeting one thing was made abundantly clear - the Wicomico County government has little interest in tax relief for its residents and NO desire to make meaningful spending cuts.
I arrived a few minutes late to Tuesday's meeting. I walked in to find that the agenda had been changed and the vote on the FY 2009 county budget had been moved up. Unfortunately, I was there to hear two councilmen express views on county fiscal matters which distressed me to no end.
Councilman Bill McCain (D) provided the public with his views on tax policy. Referencing Councilman Joe Holloway's (R-5) attempts to cut the county income tax rate McCain stated, "(it is) ...absurd to cut a county revenue source." It appears that McCain views our tax dollars not as OUR money, but as "a county revenue source" to be spent by our county government.
Given that five members refused to even research the potential cost of an open ended pension liability (which could cost taxpayers over $1 million), assuming that McCain and his like-minded cohorts will spend tax money wisely could prove both dangerous and expensive. McCain's apparent belief that taxpayer money is the county's lends credence that he shouldn't be trusted with fiscal decisions.
Councilman Dave MacLeod (D-4), while taking a different approach, leads Wicomico down the same fiscally disastrous path. Stating that he doesn't subscribe to the "doomsday scenario", he believes that "we can look forward to a BIGGER and BETTER budget down the road". While I have to credit MacLeod with being so open, I have to condemn his philosophy of government.
When discussing fiscal matters, BIGGER is not de facto BETTER. I know that MacLeod is a man of good heart and conscience. He feeds the homeless and hugs trees. These are admirable qualities. Expropriating funds from the taxpayer to redistribute wealth has proven disastrous almost everywhere it has been tried (the exceptions being in relatively small, homogeneous populations).
The bottom line is simple. Are we here to be slaves to the government or is government to serve us? In Wicomico County, the views of our elected officials is becoming rapidly clear. We are blessed with two council members (Holloway and Prettyman) who understand that government should serve the taxpayer. McCain and MacLeod apparently believe the opposite. We have three members who, at least rhetorically, are sitting on the fence.
Retaining their perch will not only give council members John Cannon, Gail Bartkovich, Sheree Sample-Hughes splinters, it will strengthen the voters' belief that they too subscribe to the McCain / MacLeod philosophy of government.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
I arrived a few minutes late to Tuesday's meeting. I walked in to find that the agenda had been changed and the vote on the FY 2009 county budget had been moved up. Unfortunately, I was there to hear two councilmen express views on county fiscal matters which distressed me to no end.
Councilman Bill McCain (D) provided the public with his views on tax policy. Referencing Councilman Joe Holloway's (R-5) attempts to cut the county income tax rate McCain stated, "(it is) ...absurd to cut a county revenue source." It appears that McCain views our tax dollars not as OUR money, but as "a county revenue source" to be spent by our county government.
Given that five members refused to even research the potential cost of an open ended pension liability (which could cost taxpayers over $1 million), assuming that McCain and his like-minded cohorts will spend tax money wisely could prove both dangerous and expensive. McCain's apparent belief that taxpayer money is the county's lends credence that he shouldn't be trusted with fiscal decisions.
Councilman Dave MacLeod (D-4), while taking a different approach, leads Wicomico down the same fiscally disastrous path. Stating that he doesn't subscribe to the "doomsday scenario", he believes that "we can look forward to a BIGGER and BETTER budget down the road". While I have to credit MacLeod with being so open, I have to condemn his philosophy of government.
When discussing fiscal matters, BIGGER is not de facto BETTER. I know that MacLeod is a man of good heart and conscience. He feeds the homeless and hugs trees. These are admirable qualities. Expropriating funds from the taxpayer to redistribute wealth has proven disastrous almost everywhere it has been tried (the exceptions being in relatively small, homogeneous populations).
The bottom line is simple. Are we here to be slaves to the government or is government to serve us? In Wicomico County, the views of our elected officials is becoming rapidly clear. We are blessed with two council members (Holloway and Prettyman) who understand that government should serve the taxpayer. McCain and MacLeod apparently believe the opposite. We have three members who, at least rhetorically, are sitting on the fence.
Retaining their perch will not only give council members John Cannon, Gail Bartkovich, Sheree Sample-Hughes splinters, it will strengthen the voters' belief that they too subscribe to the McCain / MacLeod philosophy of government.
cross posted at Delmarva Dealings
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12 comments:
I want a tax break.
Now that the county employees have been caught stealing , illegally taking money from us.
They are now using the legal route.
TAXES TO LINE THERE POCKETS,YES THIS INCLUDES ELECTED OFFICIALS AS WELL.
MacLeod is a perfect clone of the person who represented that district before: Marvin Long, a/k/a "tax&spend". McCain is Sarbanes with a crew cut and just as clueless.
But the real problem is the two RINO's -- Cannon and Bartkovich.
The taxpayers in Wicomico County are scroomed.
Then, again, as a Worcester County resident we are also scroomed.
Why do we keep electing officials that serve their government employee masters?
Christ G.A.! How much more of a tax break do you want? The county has lost 55 Million dollars since the revenue cap went in place. Property taxes have gone down every year. Roads and school funding is down, infrastructure and class size suck! How can you rail against the city about this stuff, but make the case for creatomg tje same situation in the county. Roads aren't republican, class size is not republican.
Anon 11:28 You got it backwards old bean. That's 55 million dollars we tax payers have been allowed to have ourselves. I know that doesn't make any sense to you, but the tax cap was voted in by a large majority of the tax payers and we want to keep it the way it is now! So go peddle your tax and spend philosophy some place else.
A. Goetz
Great post and well written G.A.
I am extremely ashamed that some idiot would think the county "lost" money because of the revenue cap. If they enjoy paying taxes then feel free to contact me and I will let you work harder to pay my taxes.
I am sick and tired of the departments presenting their wish lists and playing like they can't survive without an increase in funding. I shouldn't have to cut back and tighten my belt at home so that the county can spend my money for me. It's time for both the county and the city to do as most of us do, live within our means.
Anonymous said...
Christ G.A.! How much more of a tax break do you want? The county has lost 55 Million dollars since the revenue cap went in place. Property taxes have gone down every year. Roads and school funding is down, infrastructure and class size suck! How can you rail against the city about this stuff, but make the case for creatomg tje same situation in the county. Roads aren't republican, class size is not republican.
11:28 AM
Thanks for reading this blog councilwannabe McCain. The fact that someone voted for you is "absurd!" What a tax and spend idiot. Mumbles Sarbanes picked a good one here, LMAO. Aren't you do for a haircut?
Are BOE employees still going to get that 10% retirement bonus for the next two years? What a stupid, corrupt idea that was to benefit the higher ups at the central office.
I hope the council budgeted in for joe holloway a 3.5 percent raise! So he buy a new 23 buck pen, Buy a new werner extension ladder so him and robert hall can climb on top of the civic center and play roof bladder engineers for a day.And most of all for a bill mccain haircut, Some grecian formula, and a BIG BOTTLE OF SCOPE FOR THAT BEAGLE BREATH.
please tell me exactly when..."Property taxes have gone down every year."
I live in city limits and am now also gonna be face with outrageous county taxes?
What the hell does this place think it is--Beverly Hills?
Get me the hell outtta here.
Raise taxes. Let's spruce up Salisbury and Wicomico County. We need a visitor's center on all main roads coing into Wicomico. Plant flowers along the highways. Have more parades for every holiday like the good old days. People just waste money anyway playing the slots, buying and eating fatty food to add to their already fat backside. Let's get with it.
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