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Friday, March 05, 2010

SALISBURY IMPACT FEE DEBATE – IF YOU MISSED IT

The program aired this morning on WSDL only, and may be heard on the Internet at: http://www.publicradiodelmarva.net/DelmarvaToday.html


Although the discussion drags along for the most part, mainly because of the lengthy statements by the participants that should have been cut short by the moderator in many places, it is interesting to see that Councilwoman Cohen has no concern about adding to the already high cost of development – especially "affordable housing" – in Salisbury.


But Ms. Cohen said nothing about the recent "Privileged and Confidential" legal opinion by Paul Wilber (see the post below) that the City should pay into the impact fee fund more than 1.2 Million Dollars in fees that it has waived for affordable housing projects over the years. OUCH!

The growing impact fee mess in Salisbury will be discussed on tonight’s SBYNews Show at 6 PM.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe, are you on the developers' payroll now? Why do you think taxpayers should subsidize the development industry?

I am so tired of developers and landlords crying the blues about how bad they've got it while we taxpayers pay the cost of subsidizing their profits.

And you know damn well Ms. Cohen can't talk about the contents of a privileged and confidential document. You also forget both she and Debbie Campbell have taken the council boobs, the mayor and that farce of an attorney to task for making things privileged and confidential that shouldn't be.

You supported Terry Cohen, Linda Kent and Tina Perrotta when they were in We Care Wicomico, the group that got the impact fee discussion really go.

You were for impact fees before you were against them?

I hope Ms. Cohen succeeds. The growth in Salisbury hasn't all been the good kind and the taxpayers have born the brunt of it. I thought you were for the taxpayers instead of special interests, but guess I was wrong.

joealbero said...

anonymous 4:42, do you enjoy putting words in other peoples mouths?

Of course you're not man enough to use your name while doing so.

In this comment you have me at places I never was and saying things I never said.

All I said was that IF the law states a developer can do certain things, he/she should be allowed to do it. If you don't like it, try to get the law changed. Now how does that place me in a developers pocket.

As for privilaged and confidential information, I think you better confront Shanie Shields on that one, since she openly made immediate statements about what the CLOSED Meeting was all about to the public.

As far as the We Care Wicomico BS, just because I know these people doesn't mean I stood by anyone's side.

You have attempted to turn everything around. My only point to impact fees is, IF the City wants more development, they better stop adding more fees.

You cannot blame current and future developers for the mess Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, Lynn Cathcart, Shanie Shields, Louise Smith and now shall I add Terry Cohen and Jim Ireton to the bunch.

In closing, IF you can't handle Salisbury, get out because it's only going to get worse. There's plenty of higher quality homes and a much better future ahead in Delmar, Delaware and Sussex County.

Anonymous said...

This post if off base. The WSDL interview was with multiple people, guided by Don Rush. Cohen did mention developer reimbursements, but that show is not Reddish. (Too bad.)

If you and your readers will recall, Debbie Campbell is the one who exposed Wilber's screw up (again). Cohen then pressed to get the matter on the agenda to be discussed. You want her to break the law by discussing a privileged and confidential memo? I don't understand.

I do not recall either of these ladies supporting waiving fees illegally.

Why are you trying to smear Terry Cohen like she's keeping something from the public when she and Debbie Campbell both have done just the opposite?

It's one thing to disagree with their position in favor of impact fees, but this post smacks of smear and innuendo.

Anonymous said...

Growth should pay for growth - no more, no less. No subsidies. If a development commercial or residential makes economic sense it will succeed.