City should address its election cycle, benefits
Salisbury has two issues that need to be addressed in the near future -- compensation for elected officials and reviewing the municipal election cycle. Common sense and levelheaded discourse will bring consensus on a solution.
With the recent controversy over health benefits for elected officials, the problem is this is not included in the municipal code as a part of the compensation package. Historically, this has been offered to elected officials and was simply added in the budget; hence, the precedent and policy argument. But the municipal code and Salary Review Committee never offered health benefits as part of the compensation package.
The benefit as used by council members is worth more than $7,000, making total compensation for those who use it at $17,000. The Salary Review Committee should revisit it this year and make a recommendation to codify, should they so opine. It should be added to the compensation package.
Next, I believe the municipal election cycle should be returned to the fall, with the national and state elections. This will increase voter turnout and reduce the number of election cycles. It will also allow a newly elected mayor time to settle in and execute priorities with his or her own budget in the spring.
Though this was changed several years over concern that local candidates were lost in the shuffle, the consequence has been less participation at the polls.
Muir Boda
Salisbury
As seen in today's Daily Times.
25 comments:
How convenient to make this statement AFTER the Ethics Board Hearing and AFTER his having the opportunity top read their findings.
A true LEADER, LEADS! The citizens should only evaluate such an individual if they offer their OPINION before such events take place. It's simply too easy to come back after the fact and make it sound like you know what you're talking about.
Again, IMHO, Boda is a FOLLOWER, not a leader. Nice try Muir.
I should add, I think EVERYONE agrees about the election cycle. The only one who didn't was Barrie Tilghman.
Suggestions have been made by Campbell and Cohen and have fallen on the deaf ears of the council majority. The cyle and the districts need to be revisited. Many of hte changes that were put in place during the Tilghman reign were for the purpose of making it more difficult to challenged status quo politicos. As for the benefits, it's very simple. Rename the Salary Review Committee the "Compensation Committee" and have them take the entire compensation package into account (just as they did this time) and celebrate that we now have a Mayor who will not break the law in order to punish and try to cause embarassment to those who may disagree politically. Tilghman's perennial hatred for Campbell is well known. This isn't the first of her antics and likely won't be the last.
Do you really think Manure Boda wrote this? NOT!
This is an individual that got stomped in an election by a landslide and he is offering advice to the city? ROTFLMAO
I think it was a great letter.
Is there an echo here in the room? I could of swore I heard Campbell and Cohen say already say that?Ahhh Look who is friends are?
He's manager at Walmart, psst that means he gets more than $10 an hour shhhh
A real leader would have said that it's a shame (or maybe a crime) that Barrie Tilghman used her authority as Mayor to defund an expense in direct violation of the State Charter. In doing so, putting council members and the public through more needless turmoil. Instead, Muir pretended that ideas already discussed by Cohen and Campbell were his own. The article about Cohen and Campbell being cleared of any wrong doing runs on "take out the trash" day and Muir's letter runs on the largest readership day. Hmm.
Dr. Melanie Perreault also got up at the City Council 2 sessions back and spoke about these two topics and said these exact things. Muir Boda was in the audience listening to her. I really hope he doesn't believe these were his original ideas. Greater minds than his already thought about them and have spoken repeatedly in public about them. But thanks for finally coming around to what Campbell, Cohen and many others have been saying for years.
With this caliber of person as a WalMart manager tells me why I was told I was not qualified on three (3) different occasions. Then again I thought Managers were leaders too. Is this the caliber of person you want running Salisbury or even on the City Council?
Next week Boda will write a letter against murder. Thanks for stating the obvious.
My wife's job offers benefits, but she doesn't need them, because she is on my plan (We work for different places). However, she gets paid the same as everyone else does by the hour. She doesn't get an extra $1,400 a month to equal her compensation since she doesn't need the benefits. That is the way it goes, some need the benefits and some don't. Can you imagine running into the Human Resources Office tomorrow and demanding equal compensation. No way. The city should be thankful it doesn't need to provide benefits for all the council members, we are getting off easy. I guess Walmart doesn't supply health benefits to 90% of its employees, so why should the city.
Dang it. Him uses too big of words for simple folk like me to unnerstand. Did he think them up hisself?
Not likely.
I heard Cohen actually raised the issue of how policy, including the elections, could change right there at the ethics hearing! Did Lynn Cathcart run out of the room so Muir could write his piece in time for the Sunday paper?
None of the other city employees get paid more if they don't opt for health insurance, so why should the other council members?
Right now, council members get treated just like the other employees, no better, no worse. If it ain't broke...
This is just more caca on the wall, courtesy of Barrie Comegys.
Can someone please explain to me about Cohen using a part of the Maryland Constitution to prove her point? There was nothing in the opinion or the paper about it.
! said...
This dude looks like a creepy serial rapist. I'm just sayin.
9:17 PM
I agree with this statement. There is something definitely creepy about him. Kinda reminds me of the Pedophile Grinch. As a matter of fact Birds of a Feather.....
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha...Shut up Boda!
But Muir, if they move the election to early November, you won't be able to run because that's when you'll be knee deep in getting ready for Black Friday. And I'm sure your employer won't understand it when you need time off. But then again we could all be fools because Walmart is the only place planning on hiring 22,000 people. Just saying
Manure is in one of them thar religious cults, does he go to the same cult as the employees of the WWTP? hmmmmmmmm
Maybe Boda can fix prices like they do at walmart.not!!!!!!!!!
Anon 8 p.m. - there was a section of the Maryland Constitution, plus an Attorney General Opinion that said you cannot increase or decrease an elected official's compensation during their term in office unless they serve a term of more than 4 years. The AG Opinion also stated that health insurance is compensation. I don't think the Daily Times wanted anyone to know that Barrie Tilghman violated the Maryland Constitution or that Wilber allowed this ethics hearing to go forward when he knew or should have known about the Maryland Constitution and AG Opinion. Your tax dollars at work.
Put all those old yard signs in the recycling bin Mr. Boda. Even if the election is moved to the fall, you will not win in this city. You have been blogged! You should have shown better judgement and chosen better friends.
So, his grand ideas for the city go from sidewalks and crosswalks on an interstate highway, to equal compensation. Sounds like he got some talking points from someone. Hmmm...I wonder how is feeding the fat boy and Boda their ideas these days.
Walmarts are like one giant Chinese Mall. They are part of the demise of the American Dream by putting so many Mom and Pop stores out of business. While their employees are slaves to the economy.
Dear Mr. Boda,
I don't want a politician wannabee who copies Gary Comegys copying everybody else.
I want a real public servant, like Debbie Campbell, who creamed you by a landslide because she is the real deal.
Terry Cohen is also the real deal. I will gladly foot my 50 cents worth of her medical insurance in return for having someone of integrity and real smarts in office.
Sincerely,
SBY Voter
P.S. I can't wait until your mentor, Bubba, is out of office!
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