Click on images to enlarge. I know, pass this stuff through before Obama comes to Salisbury and slaps someone with any fines or legal recourse. You see, if they pass this tonight, who would be accountable? If Barrie is gone, she's no longer the Mayor. When the new Mayor is elected, well, they inherited it, right?
Look Folks, here's the deal. This Mayor want to shove down the taxpayers throat $1,748,500.00 worth of improvements to the Salisbury Zoo. Is this woman just out of her mind? She neglects to tell you that their operating expenses went UP about 25% or so and it now cost YOU the taxpayer more than $900,000.00 a year just to run that Zoo. The $960,000.00 I'm mentioning has NOTHING to do with the above figures. That's just the General Fund at the Zoo and does NOT include the Capitol Fund, neither of which are in the above figures!
Ron Alessi continues to run the Zoo through the Salisbury Zoo Commission and this facility has just drained taxpayers to no end. Think smart about this Ladies & Gentlemen, IF YOU AGREE TO THIS AND YOUR TAXES HAVE TO GO UP AGAIN! Do you want that to happen? My earlier Post on the Marina Commission challenged situations like this one and right now I'd demand a freeze be put on everything until a new Mayor is elected. Oh, you better believe the $840,000.00 Fire Boat is included in this CIP as well!
So when does it end? Do you really trust Gary Comegys? Has the man stepped up to the plate and said, I won't stand for any of this spending? In fact I encourage you to go to THIS LINK to today's article in the Daily Times suggesting that tonight's Council Meeting. It says:
"Council to accept Improvements Plan
SALISBURY -- The City Council plans to meet tonight with a short agenda including a resolution to adopt the 2010-2014 Capital Improvements Plan"
That's ALL the press they gave this meeting and IMHO discouraged anyone from attending. NO Daily Times, this is one heck of a meeting where they'll spend millions upon millions of dollars and of course you don't want anyone there.
Getting back to the Zoo. The Salisbury Zoo used to operate, (or shall I say, cost the City Taxpayers only $25,000.00 a year, until Jim Rapp came on board. Now it's just shy of ONE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! The fact that Comegys, Smith & Shields will have nothing to do with a $1.00 fee to get into the Zoo, even if its for out of town guests, is beyond me. I have spoken to many Zoo Directors across America and each and every one of them say, if we can't keep our Zoo self sufficient, we don't have a job!
I do not have the image attached of the $840,000.00 Fire Boat but as I stated earlier, this thing is about to get passed through tonight and YOU people need to stop it. You need to call each Council Member and demand this thing be pulled from the Budget!
I'm telling you Folks, I'm so mad right now I can't see straight! Gary Comegys should be standing up and saying, Enough is Enough! This Mayor has done everything in her powers to break the taxpayers of Salisbury and it's spending like this that shows how much of a joke Salisbury is.
Look at it like this. Is NOW the time for a new $715,800.00 Australian Exhibit? People can't afford to put food on their tables, put gas in their cars, let alone pay their darned mortgages, yet they people that represent each and every one of you want to spend more on luxury items, IN THIS ECONOMY? A $840,000.00 Fire Boat??????
Man, you people better pack that room tonight and raise some hell because if you don't, your taxes are going to go through the roof once again. I'm extremely disappointed in Mr. Comegys. A simple grandstand on deleting one of these items isn't enough Gary. You need to demand ALL of this spending get put aside until further notice.
Don't listen to the Daily Times Ladies & Gentlemen. Go to tonight's City Council Meeting at 6:00 PM and let your voice be heard. Ovewhelm these people with e-mail and phone calls NOW!
Louise Smith
Council President
229 Canal Park Drive, #102
Salisbury, MD 21804
Home: 410-860-1717
Email: Louise Smith
Gary A. Comegys
Council Vice President
310 London Ave
Salisbury, MD 21801
Home: 410-548-1623
Work: 410-677-4025
Email: Gary A.Comegys
Deborah S. Campbell
Councilwoman
809 Camden Ave
Salisbury, MD 21801
Home: 410-860-0893
Email: Deborah S. Campbell
Terry E. Cohen
Councilwoman
536 Druid Hill Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801
Home: 410-845-0296
Email: Terry E. Cohen
Eugenie (Shanie) P. Shields
Councilwoman
621 Germania Circle
Salisbury, MD 21801
Work: 410-749-7171 X220
Email: Eugenie (Shanie) P. Shields
Council President
229 Canal Park Drive, #102
Salisbury, MD 21804
Home: 410-860-1717
Email: Louise Smith
Gary A. Comegys
Council Vice President
310 London Ave
Salisbury, MD 21801
Home: 410-548-1623
Work: 410-677-4025
Email: Gary A.Comegys
Deborah S. Campbell
Councilwoman
809 Camden Ave
Salisbury, MD 21801
Home: 410-860-0893
Email: Deborah S. Campbell
Terry E. Cohen
Councilwoman
536 Druid Hill Avenue
Salisbury, MD 21801
Home: 410-845-0296
Email: Terry E. Cohen
Eugenie (Shanie) P. Shields
Councilwoman
621 Germania Circle
Salisbury, MD 21801
Work: 410-749-7171 X220
Email: Eugenie (Shanie) P. Shields
It's Your Call from here on out. Oh, don't think for a second there isn't all kinds of other ridiculous spending going on tonight as well, because there is. I just don't have time for it right now. We are officially in a recession right now and IMHO a Depression. YOU cannot spend this kind of money in an economy like this. You need Police Officers, NOT Zoo Exhibits! You need to pay the Firefighters a decent wage, NOT buy a $840,000.00 Fire Boat!
All I can tell you is, Comegys is NOT your answer for the next Mayor of Salisbury. He's clueless as to how to run a business and when he made an attempt to go into his own business he filed Bankruptcy. No disrespect Mr Comegys, that is not a personal attack. It is a fact and it is your kind of thinking that has brought Americans to their knees financially. It must end NOW!
22 comments:
Joe:
You ain't seen nothin' yet -- they want to spend over 100,000 to repair the old water standpipe that's not even used.
IDIOTS.
I cant even comprehend this enough to gather my words, utter shock I quess.
1. That really is not so much for a zoo... quite a modest amount.
2. The zoo is a good thing to have. You prefer another shopping mall instead??
3. Look at what other zoos around the country cost. Do the comparison against similar sized zoos, such as the Stone Zoo.
4. Up in New England, they are spending $53,000,000 in zoo expansions on just a handful of zoos.
The bottom line is that what is proposed here is not at all unusual, nor expensive. I vote FOR the zoo.
anonymous 12:20,
Clearly you work for the Zoo. That being said, I really can't blame you for such a comment. However, would I choose a Mall right now over a Zoo, probably. The Mall would bring tax dollars to a starving Salisbury Tax Base right now. NOW is NOT the time for such spending. I'm not saying this should NEVER happen. I'm simply saying now is not the time.
Thye Bunny Hugger mentality needs to end and reality needs to set in. The taxpayers are sick and tired of funding what a few dozen people believe in. Look at all the non city residents that are on the Zoo Commission. They don't even pay City Taxes, it's a joke!
No Joe, just a scientist. Never worked for a zoo. Never was on a zoo board. I just enjoy visiting them with my family.
As with a democracy, the value of the zoo is what the people say it is. We'll just disagree, and wait and see where the rest of the city is with this...
Joe, doesn't the zoo stuff say the money will be coming from donations? It looks like they have these things marked with money sources.
anonymous 12:34,
We'll agree to disagree. Are you a taxpayer in the City? Perhaps we should create a poll to see where people really stand on this issue?
anonymous 12:40,
No disrespect but are you that stupid? It's in the City Budget! The documents are right there for you to see. This money comes from the taxpayers! Yeah, I'd like to see Ron Alessi raise this kind of money. Not in a million years.
Joe,
In response to your question (12:44)
I pay a good bit in property taxes to Wicomico County (unincorporated). I believe that money is part of the base used to support the zoo.
As for a poll, it would be interesting, but a self selecting poll should never be used in making policy or supporting policy decisions... but you know that, of course.
Salisbury should have a line item budget so that elected officials can be held accountable for what they are and aren't willing to spend tax dollars on.
It's known as "accountability and transparency in government", people. That's what one of the two intelligent, responsible members we have on Council has been saying, and this zoo thing (among others) is a prime example of why she's right.
You're right too, Joe. Hell should be raised tonight at that meeting, and I plan to be there to raise my share.
1:05 -
I believe that most of the County funding for the zoo is from the "room tax" on hotel/motel business receipts, not from the county's property tax or income tax revenue
If they are going to spend big money on the zoo, they should spend it on moving it to higher ground and get it out of the flood plane. They already lost almost all of the Prairie Dogs in a flood.
If the zoo can not be self sufficient by admissions or donations, I would close it down. Animals dont belong in cages anyway.
Hooray 2:20 p.m. - Somebody finally agrees with me.
Joe, I must agree that right now the city funds need to be aimed at attracting businesses, cleaning up dilapidated properties and thugs, and creating true law, order, incentives and advertise these as the reasons for businesses to come here.
More than that, we need all businesses to know that the City Government intends to be fair, open, and receptive to individuals and businessmen's views and concerns in the community. It is now also the civic duty for Salisbury (and all the shore) to participate in getting the share of Obamabucks due us. After all, that is money that is leaving the area; we might as well get some of it back here.
Maintain the zoo for now, and improve it later. Allow the zookeepers the freedom to be good zookeepers and make it self sustaining.
The fire boat? I'll need to know how many buildings and lives we have lost because we didn't have one to quantify that decision.
By looking at all these numbers and the billions that the federal and state governments spend on B.S is very upsetting....And its very sad at the fact the city of salisbury is wasting so much of its tax dollars on the ZOO and an old water standpipe...During a RECESSION of all times...Why Would they want to spend spend spend...on bull/dumb ish..Absolutely no use at all..And I dont even want to think about the fire truck..how many fires does salisbury actually have??? And uh...Who even goes to the Salisbury Zoo anymore??
Somebody needs to take Gary Comegys firefighter retirement pay away from him. That dumb bunny said they need a fire boat in case there is a fire at the fuel tank farm.
BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA he wants to put a fuel fire out with water. What a dumb bunny.
As Ronny Reagan would tell them, "There you go again."
They spend spend spend because it must be fun spending other people's money especially when they object.
Poor dumb Gary, the mare is going to be sticking him in a debt ridden position in the poorest economy in 80 years, oh well he is a sucker I guess. Been kissin' butt this long.
She wants Gary to look so bad the people would be praying for Boozy Barrie to return! Don't count your chickens just yet, we may have to break a few fiscal budget eggs to support the bare necessities, emergency first responders and that's all there is to it.
Expect a lot of whining this year from cuts to non esential services. You know who you are and if your department head can't make adjustments to work with what we have, the first things to go will be non essential jobs. Zoo come to mind? Sorry but I'd rather lose 2 Zoo employees than one police officer.
Do you really believe that barrie voted for Obama? If you do, you blow grits. She'd never vote for a person of color to be above her, she may appoint a few to make her look good. There's no way hearing the way I've heard her talk, she's no fan of people of color, she will dance with you make you feel good.
She just wanted go to DC with hopes of sucking up to Hillary, dressed in her best pantsuit.
If their are enough people in the city that want to see the Water Tower stay then let them donate and organize a non-profit organization to restore it with their own work, blood and sweat, but not my tax dollars.
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