"For those who didn’t live here during the first few years of Barrie Tilghman’s tenure as Mayor of Salisbury, a brief bit of history. Immediately upon taking office in May, 1998, she sacked then Police Chief Dykes. To perform an investigation and represent the City in regard to his possible claims she asked the City Council to approve the Miles & Stockbridge law firm, which it did on June 5, 1998. In July 1998, after the City and Chief Dykes had reached a negotiated settlement for his resignation, Miles & Stockbridge submitted a bill in the sum of $48,176.30, which the Council approved.
Most if not all of the Council members thought that was the end of the matter for which it had approved the use of that law firm, but they were mistaken. And for a protracted period they were ignorant of what happened next.
It seems that Barrie Tilghman asked Miles & Stockbridge to perform additional services without notifying the Council. Among other things, Miles & Stockbridge prepared a formal report that was submitted to the Attorney General of Maryland, Joseph Curran. For a number of months no bills for its services were submitted to the City, so the Council remained unaware of what was going on. But, eventually and after some months of no further services, in June of 1999 Miles & Stockbridge submitted a bill for services it had performed from July, 1998 to February, 1999. As far as is known, no action was ever instituted against Chief Dykes.
So why were the additional services performed after Chief Dykes had resigned? It is believed that much of the work was performed at Barrie’s request to fabricate a facade upon which to posture in public that she had been right in firing Chief Dykes – an action that was widely criticized in light of his outstanding record of diligent service to the City of Salisbury. Some speculate that she was trying to have him indicted on criminal charges. In explaining her conduct, although he had released the City of liability (as part of that negotiated settlement), Barrie stated that the City had to be prepared to defend a suit by him.
On October 11, 1999 the City Council rejected the second bill submitted by Miles & Stockbridge by a vote of 3 (Palmer Gillis, Wm. Stacey, and Frank Himelright) to 2 (Robert Cannon and Lavonzella Siggers). But that’s not the end of this saga.
Barrie continued to badger the City Council to approve payment of the second bill, and it did so on May 22, 2000, after Gillis, Himelright and Cannon had been replaced on the Council by C. T. Webster, Joseph Scott and Rachel Polk, who had promised during their election campaigns to end the tension that had arisen between Barrie and the Council. By the end of their term on the Council Ms. Polk and Messrs Scott and Webster had fallen out with Barrie Tilghman, and they were replaced in the 2003 election by the so called Dream Team majority of the Council (Dunn, Comegys and Cathcart – that’s another story to be told.
There is an indelible appearance that Barrie Tilghman used City funds in an attempt to impugn Chief Dykes after he had resigned. And it appears that more recently she also used City funds in her vendetta against Stu Lear, which is yet another notable aspect of her tenure as mayor. And what don’t we know about other episodes of the sort that may have occurred during that period?"
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
24 comments:
Do you know the amount of the second bill?
Hey Joe, did the taxpayers pay for the mayors and chiefs lawsuit against you? I know the taxpayers paid for Websters time on those bogus charges against you not that long ago.
Joe:
Barrie has caused so much havoc lately that I had forgotten about that episode involving Chief Dykes, who was the best police chief in Salisbury's history.
In comparison he makes Chiefy Webster look like a Keystone Cop!
Joe:
She also used Robin Cockey's law firm in her effort to trash Chief Dykes, and there was a major brou-haha when she paid their legal bill without the approval of the Council.
Didn't Barrie try to destroy a lot of the city records a month or so back? You have to wonder what they show about her conduct in office.
If Comegys is elected mayor, he will protect her, of course.
Barry G:
The amount is meaningless, because the point of the post is her conduct.
Neither Barrie or Chiefy are fit to wipe Dykes' shoes. Someone should charge Webster with impersonation. What goes around, comes around and its coming for both of those idiots. Rest in peace Chief Dykes.
The abuse of power goes back a long way in our history. Many years ago the leaders were either killed or thrown out of the country.
Remember Paladin (" have gun will
travel")wouldn't it be nice!
Yes, we lived through Barrie's reign during that time within weeks (maybe days)of her taking office.
Can we all agree that had the blogs been on the scene then, this dictatorial behavior by Barrie would have been been dealt with entirely differently--that, in my mind, is why she hates him so much. Up until Joe taking her on, Barrie's reign of terror was unmitigated. She's now folding her tent because she knows she has been checkmated and her devious manipulation has been found out.
Can we have a block party on the Plaza when she's gone?
Hurrahhhhhhhhhh!
After reading this post now I know why Barrie Tilghman wanted to destroy old documents. She's not thinking about saving storage space, her only thought is saving her ass. Those documents are evidence.
The city council needs to keep a close watch on those legal expenditures. Make sure the city didn't pay Webster or Barries legal fees for suing Joe Albero. They are using the same law firm in their suits.
Joe:
Isn't that the law firm that Barrie has for her lawsuit against you?
It is unfortunate that Gillis, Himelright and Cannon were unable to go head-to-head with Barrie back then. If either Campbell or Cohen had been on the City Council then Barrie would have never been able to pull that stuff that she did to Chief Dykes.
And don't forget that the Daily Times also stood mute about her abuse of power, and has continued to do so to this day.
Realize that Tilghman is liked by the Landlords and so will Comegys. The Landlords give big bucks to them to campaign, so if you like the slum, vote Comegys to keep everything the same.
Question Of The Day:
Joe's Quote "...who had promised during their election campaigns to end the tension that had arisen between Barrie and the Council."
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If I've said it once I said it 100 times. In the last 12 years there have been several different "councils." What is the common denominator?
I worked for both Chief Dykes and so called chief Webster. Nobody can compare to Chief Dykes. His life was the Salisbury Police Dept. and its police officers. Webster could give two hoots he is only there to get a check and look pretty in his suit. I have no respect for a man that will not wear the uniform. When the Biiitttccchhh leaves the city will be so much better hopefully webster will follow. I say we owe the Dkyes family make Chief Dykes son Jason Dykes Chief of Salisbury Police Dept. and lets get things done. Hopefully to all the law enforcement agency lock up Barrie she a drunk. Make everyone happy.
She got rid of chief Dykes because HE ran his department like department heads are paid to do. I bet Rick Pollitt doesn't yank Mike Lewis around by a dog leash. Dykes wasn't about to be her "Yes Man" and she had a fit. He's now come back to haunt her, GOOO Chief!
We should at least name a building after Chief Dykes, that is something we can do. They'll never name a building in this town after Tighlman or swear they'll have to kick me out of the council chambers.
Chief Dykes was too honest and did his job and did not put up with crap. He also stood behind his Department and that is when they did the job with pride. Now they have none and deserve no respect.
God Rest his soul and bless his family.
although chief dykes ran a tight ship and the department was much more respected, he was also a crook and part of that good o'le boy system. he needed to resign but not be dragged through the mud. His good years of service out way his last and that makes him a good man. RIP chief
Don't be so fast to push Jason Dykes in his fathers seat. I've never known Coulbourne to pull a gun on anyone in a bar unlike Jason pulling his gun down at Mulligans. Jason is not Coulbourne he's riding on his fathers coattails.
Sheriff is elected, Chief of Police is appointed by the Mayor.
That means that the Sheriff should be beyond the reach of the politics of the county, and the Chief is stuck up the mayors b*tt.
If you were less unbiased you wouldn't be in all the mess from this wanna be mayor.Food for thought.
Just remember the " Black candle" of kwanzaa . hahhahaa
The landlords can give Bubba all the money they want. The more he talks the dumber he sounds. Things for the students have gotten worse since they were slickered into being used as pawns in a shell game during the last election. Now they are targets of criminals, I think they have woke up.
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