WICOMICO COUNTY BUDGET CUT BLUSTER CONTINUES; MORE TO COME
That “public hearing” last night on cutting the County’s current budget was more like a general meeting for taxpayers to hear and then immediately comment upon what Rick Pollitt has at long last decided should be cut or reduced in order to have a balanced budget. That aspect of the event – here it is; speak up right now – was even more so because of the absence of specific details and a long “power-point” presentation about the County’s fiscal plight.
The event would have been a waste of time but for suggestions for specific cuts that Rick Pollitt and the County Council either have not considered or have rejected, including these:
1. Terminate Pollitt’s press secretary (“public information officer”) – the taxpayer who suggested this cut pointed out that Rick is capable of speaking for himself.
2. Shrink the size of the County Council from 7 to 5 members.
These measures would reduce County expense – perhaps by $100,000 or more each year – but would not result in the loss of any essential services. Such “outside the box” thinking is itself an essential service these days. Those and other cost-cutting suggestions were greeted with more than polite applause by many in the audience of 250 or so persons.
Of course, the “can’t cut that” crowd also showed up. The prize-winner IMHO was someone who seriously suggested that the potential loss of the poodle show at the Civic Center is a significant reason to maintain funding. We understand that keeping the “national indoor tennis tournament” was a reason for building that monstrosity. So, it seems the mindset that has made Wicomico County government a fiscal nightmare is alive and well.
It appears that nobody knows what will happen next in “the battle to balance the budget,” so stay tuned.
Editors Note: This is the opinion of one viewer and not necessarily the views of Salisbury News.
28 comments:
Joe:
Thank you for clarifying that this was not your view...
I do agree , in some respects,with whoever wrote this ,although he/she seems rather clueless about the economic benefits of the Civic Center.
Anyway,I think that G.A. Harrison probably made the most cogent comments of the evening.
Frankly, it is beyond my comprehension why the County Council is not demading a detailed zero based budget from every county department. NO ONE can make any intelligent decisions about the budget until we know IN DETAIL how money is currently being spent.....saying "we are cutting by X percent" is meaningless until you understand the baseline.
I was further dismayed that our council members did not share thier thoughts with us....why not?
I was also disappointed that people felt a turnout of 200 to 250people was a big deal...there are 100,000 people in this county...we are talking about a true fiscal crisis...do the other 99,750 citizens simply think it will resolve itself?
I was hoping to leave the meeting feeling we had some leadership in managing the county through this....I was sadly mistaken.
"thinking outside of the box"? Now thats a laugh. What you have is a bunch of 30 year government veterans make all of the decisions who are used to the endless flow of funds. The employees of the county are not the problem. Cut off the top layer.
That "opinion of one viewer" seems to be shared by most of those in attendance last night. The lady who said near the end that we can't abide any more taxes said it all and probably the best.
Would it be possible to keep the Westside Community Center opened by the money saved if those position cuts (the "public info officer" and 2 members of the County Council) were made?
The County's "PIO" used to be George Roache; who is it now?
Who was that man who wants the County to post more budget and expense information on its web site.
Me, too!
Joe:
Just what is your view on cutting Pollitt's press secretary and dropping 2 members from the County Council? Both sound prudent to me.
Not sure about the poodles (don't have a dog in that fight!).
It was good to hear from "VOICE" again now that we really need protection from ditching the tax revenue cap.
That Pollitt has not done away with the public information officer is astounding.
Don't most other counties have 5 (or fewer) members of the Council or Commissioners?
Sussex County, which is much bigger, has 5 members of the Council. We should reduce our Council to save some bucks.
The council couldn't speak because John Cannon wants to control every aspect. He wouldn't let them speak. Haven't you seen how these things go yet? Cannon picks and chooses who is going to speak and when. Disgusting and someone needs to take that man down.
Remember, under the new County Charter, it is the responibility of the County Executive to create a Budget. The Wicomico County Council can not add funds to the budget and/or specific line-items. They can only subtract funds from specific line-items. The Council can choose to reject Mr. Pollitt's entire Budget proposal which will result in him having to start the entire process all over again.
Each individual Council member will seek insignificant reductions in Mr. Pollitt's budget revision simply to make it look like they are listening to the public, but over all Mr. Pollitt's budget revisions will be approved as presented.
Joe:
I hear the Council members get $16,000/year plus an allowance -- don't know if that would include health coverage like the Salisbury Council gets. If two members of the County Council and Fineran ("PIO") are let go, the saving to Wicomico County taxpayers should be at least $100,000 per year if he is getting full benefits.
You may have started something BIG!
Suggestions for balance budget:
1) eliminate Executive Form of Government. The cost does not equal the returns.
2) eliminate County Council 2 positions.
Reduce the pay of the council administrator.
3) All departments not required by law, must become self sustaining, privatized or eliminated.
Under no circumstances should taxes be raised.
George was incorrect about the BOE transferring funds from special ed in that the funds are being spent on a special ed student; however, the state requires that it be classified as "health services" rather than "special ed". Hence the transfer. The travel budget is being frozen as a carryover for the next year's budget. It's difficult to listen when speakers do not know of which they speak.
i wish i could get money from out of someones pay to help me with my bills just like the county has done to it employees to help them out (FURLOWS) ted shea's ass needs to go this is why Pollott was voted in
Save those poodles, please!
The budget problems the County is facing is another reason why county employees shouldn't make the same salary as state employees. The State has a bigger budget and can pay more. Pollitt and County Council should have thought of this a few years ago when they raised salaries of numerous county employees to equal their state cohorts. Now you have to reduce the pay of some employees to balance the budget, fools.
3:19...you might want to seriously study the economic and quality of life aspects associated with the civic center and with parks and rec...unless of course you really don't care and simply like to make silly comments.In which case you bring nothing to the table in terms of solving the problem.
James Fineran is the current PIO. 55K plus benefits and the council has benefits.
You can't just lop off 2 council members. Districts have to be redrawn and carefully or else you end up in court.
I agree about cutting the fat at the top. The revenue cap was already in place, but Pollitt added on. Unwise.
Clarification: the VOICE proposal would eliminate the two at-large seats so there's no need to redistrict aside from the usual changes which come with each decade's census.
Their power point presentation showed a 17% increase in the budget in one year all for "one-time projects". Subsequent years budgets did not decline but went up. Take out the 17% increase that no one knows what it went for and the majority of the shortfall is gone. Government likes to take but hesitant to give anything back.
Mr. Swartz:
How come you and the conservatives don't speak out about the "public information officer" boondoogle?
2:16PM -
"The travel budget is being frozen as a carryover for the next year's budget."
Show us that in writing as an order from the Superintedent. I dont think you'll find it all being frozen.
Someone needs to tell Rick and his pals Ted, John and Matt, that we the taxpayers would rather keep our money then give it to them to waste. So, cut all the programs you need, we will get by and be alright.
1:27 said:
Suggestions for balance budget:
1) eliminate Executive Form of Government. The cost does not equal the returns. .............
Excuse me but if I am not mistaken, Voice and the people misled by them voted for that at the same time as the cap. Are you saying the great and almighty voice was wrong??
Ever notice that the Voice "movers and shakers" from that era quietly retired to thier caves and left the ensuing mess they created to be defended by the likes of John Palmer.
Coffin made a bundle in real estate thanks to the benefits of the cap....now her comes to the hearing and whines about "not taking a salary" and the "sins at high levels of our national government".....not ONE specific or intelligent suggestion from him as to how this deficit should be addressed.
7:47~
The current system will work if it is done properly without the conflicts of interest currently in play and the props that are in place to help it fail.
Voice never had any realistic solutions to the counties budget issues. Before all they could say was cut the fat. With the exception of a couple of admintistrative positions that most agree can be done away with, where exactly is all this fat? All talk.
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