The Democrat majority of the Wicomico County Council moved forward today with legislation to strip Wicomico farmers of their property rights. Council members Gail Bartkovich, Joe Holloway and Stevie Prettyman demanded that their names be removed from the legislation after noting that there was no mechanism to compensate farmers for the proposed land grab.
Moving the legislation to public hearing was approved by council members Bill McCain, Dave MacLeod, Sheree Sample-Hughes, and the council's newest Dem John Cannon. Sample-Hughes was at least honest enough to admit that there would NOT be any compensation mechanism in the legislation.
We'll have a more detailed report tomorrow. We are also waiting for a response from County Executive Rick Pollitt. Pollitt has stated on at least two occasions that he would not support a bill that failed to compensate land owners for the loss of development rights. I'm hoping that he sticks to his guns.
Moving the legislation to public hearing was approved by council members Bill McCain, Dave MacLeod, Sheree Sample-Hughes, and the council's newest Dem John Cannon. Sample-Hughes was at least honest enough to admit that there would NOT be any compensation mechanism in the legislation.
We'll have a more detailed report tomorrow. We are also waiting for a response from County Executive Rick Pollitt. Pollitt has stated on at least two occasions that he would not support a bill that failed to compensate land owners for the loss of development rights. I'm hoping that he sticks to his guns.
21 comments:
Great, another effort by Cannon to not work together with Pollitt. Cannon needs to go. Imagine he wants to run for Pollitt's job. He does not work with others, he has his own agenda
Someone is making $$$ on this. I wonder who????????????
That was a spelling nightmare, let me try that again. Does this mean that the farmers lose and the developers win? I remember back when stuff was written about it, wish I had read it closer.
You've got it. Let's determine who is really benefitting from this deal. It is certainly not the landowners in the Ag district. Who owns lots of land in the city??
Well there will be at least 4 seats to fill come next election. Leave it to the appraiser and Prince of Slum lords to vote this through. Sample Hughes can hold all the meetings she wants, it won't get her re elected and David MacLeod needs to just stay out of politics, he plays follow the leader when it comes to voting anyway. He and Sheree have not had an original thought since taking their seats on the council.
Kudos to Prettyman, Bartkovich and Holloway, I wouldn't want my name attached to this either.
I wouldn't vote for John Cannon if my life depended on it. He is incapable of making a decision on his own and his backbone is made of jello.
I apologize. I voted for Cannon but won't again. What a disappointment!
The problem here is this forces developers to annex in the city of Salisbury which allows for much higher density to the overcrowed city. There will be numerous apartments and townhomes in the works allowing the developers to continue to be millionaires. Who pays for this and who suffers? The current homeowners and tax payers! Who pays for the infrastructure? Not the developers! Where are the new police officers and protection for the renters of these new apartments? Where are the new firefighters and paramedics coming from? Who is going to pay for the new roads? Who is going to pay for the existing roads already torn up? Do the idiots on the County Council know that development in the city of Salisbury creates wear and tear on the County roads? Do they know that this increases capacity at the County schools? Who pays for the water and sewer? Who is going to compensate the farmers for their "401K?" This land is the farmers only retirement plan!!!
No Bubba Groaf doesn't pay for Groaf!!!
Kinda looks like Ms. Barko is doing the old two-step: I voted against it after I voted for it on the Planning Comm.
Let's not forget Pollitt's political affiliation and base -- and it ain't the folks who toil in the fields.
Farmers: it's a slip-slidin' away as we speak, thanks to Johnny the RINO!
Anonymous said...
Kinda looks like Ms. Barko is doing the old two-step: I voted against it after I voted for it on the Planning Comm.
3:55 PM
EXACTLY!!! Check the minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission. She voted for it then, but now all of a sudden she wants no part of it? Ms. Barko yot got some splainin to do!!!
Gail actually inserted the recommendation that the council also consider the Farmers plan that is on the table and that the use of clusters continue to be used. Now that McCain and his sidekick Cannon got their hands on it, they won't even think of considering it. Gail did her part. I was at that meeting.
Connon get ready for a lawsuit
its one thing to invest in stocks RISK or buy a CD FDIC insured safe??? buy a piece of land you can have 25 building lots and someone just takes it away from you NOT SAFE. I got mine now it will take yours to make mine more valuable
now i can buy farm land cheap MORE CHICKEN HOUSES turds in the bay hee haw
lets build a small baltimore and surround it with chicken houses to make dpi happy
Can someone post a link to exactly what was passed?
Thanks
Call the council office and ask them to post the bill online.
One of the amazing things about this issue is that when listening to the environmentalists talk, the want to preserve "our" farms. Unfortunately, they don't seem to understand that our farms aren't theirs. We worked hard to pay for our farms, have paid taxes on our farms, have cared for our farms and now, this special interest group wants to claim something that isn't theirs.
This is so sad, you can nearly predict the votes of the county council, the same as the city council. I don't think the (Most) of the newly elected county council heard the peoples voice in the last election and changes may need to take place in the next election to be clearly heard.
Now we want to treat farmers like Indians. Rick better put the hammer down on this one. Thanks to Gail, Stevie and Joe for thinking about "The People."
2:10 "Let's determine who is really benefitting from this deal."
Oh... That's an easy one.
Who loses: Farmers who want to sell their land to developers.
Who wins: Everyone who wants to preserve the land as it is currently is and those who want to prevent urban crawl and sprawl.
In other words, everyone wins except the farmer who wants to turn his land into crappy condos, and the people who would want to move into such condos..
The plan gets a thumbs up from me.
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