It is difficult to view Mr. McCain’s event tonight as anything other than an effort to push the agenda that he shares with his fellow tax & spend Democrat, Rick Pollitt, to kill Wicomico County’s tax revenue cap so that more tax dollars can be extracted from property owners. McCain, who has decided not to run for reelection to the County Council, is now carrying the ball that Pollitt has decided not to touch before this fall’s election.
In his single term on the Council, McCain, a professional property appraiser, has been notable for approving the purchase of land by the County for outrageous prices – most recently the land across the street from the Civic Center. The County’s budget and tax revenue have increased greatly during his (and Pollitt’s) term.
These questions that should be put to him during the rally he is staging:
1. Do you know whether any business firm or family has ever decided to leave Wicomico County or not to locate here because of the County’s tax revenue cap? If so, please explain who and when.
2. Would repealing or changing the tax cap so that County taxes could be raised cause businesses or families to decide to remain in Wicomico County or to locate here?
3. How much has the County’s tax revenue and budget increased since you have been on the County Council? Please state both the total dollars and percentage increase if you know.
4. Have you asked Mr. Pollitt to take any action in regard to the County purchasing agent who ordered those $400 trash cans – if so, what has happened?
5. Will you vote to eliminate funding for the County Executive to have a “public information officer” if Mr. Pollitt includes that funding in his next proposed budget to be submitted in several weeks?
6. How could that land across the street from the Civic Center possibly be worth $300,000 per acre?
If you can think of additional questions that Mr. McCain should answer at tonight’s meeting, please post them here.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
33 comments:
I think it is time that we insist on employee accountability. The private sector is having to do it to justify their payroll budgets.Sure we are talking about peoples lives.However, you can observe the waste occuring on a daily basis. Just a tought!
Harry S.
The meeting is another "slick trick by Rick" to kill the tax cap, using McCain as cover.
Will the AFP folks be there to ask these questions -- and will Willie answer them?
A lot of Police activity on Northwood Dr right now. 4 SPD cars, pick up truck from the fire dept into the woods. Ambulance took a stretcher in and came out empty. Can only speculate at this time.
They can save some much needed taxpayer money by doing away with the public info. officer positions both in Pollitt's office and at the Board of Ed.
Someone please ask why Pollitt is not out campaigning to kill the tax cap when he is trying to do that behind our backs.
you ought to know the answers before you ask the questions. you now he's gonna tap dance around them all. this way you have your facts straight and in front of you so he can be challenged on his answers!
Questions could include the finding of 3M and the theft of 500K, and how these issues could be impacted by the Council's failure to have on staff a County Auditor.
Does this in fact put him and the Council in violation of the County Charter?
Could it be that revenue is not the problem. And as pointed out, spending and accountabilty may be the problem for Mr. McCain and his supporters on Council.
McCain and Pollitt are also doing the dirty work for the tree-huggers like Pretl and Groutt that want to strip farmers of their right to subdivide their land.
If Pollit stays in office after this year, we will really need the tax cap.
Who is Pollitt's public information officer and why does he even need one?
Who is paying the room charge for the meeting -- not the taxpayers I hope?
Are you suggesting that County Policy is being discussed by some secret cabal of cohorts who have a hidden agenda?
Are they looking out for our (citizens) interests?
Isn't McCain's wife a public school teacher in Wicomico County?
10:50-
Answers to your questions:
1. Yes - it's called the Greater Salisbury Committee.
2. No -- the GSC is out to butter its members nests with taxpayers bucks.
PS -- McCain is in the GSC, I'm told.
I guess I missed the post about when and where ?? Could someone be kind and let me know . Thank you
I think McCain owns a lot of farmland, so a tax rate increase would not affect him much.
Bill McCain -- can you say "conflict of interest"?
With new development in the pits, why did the County hire another inspector last year?
What is his stand on impact fees and clusters? I remember when he tried to fool us during the cluster debate.
Need to ask McCan if he took the equivalent to the furlough days the employees had to take. In other words, did he reimburse the county the amount of his furlough days with a personal check?
11:17-
McCain and Pollit both are for impact fees (as much as possible, politically) and against clusters -- they want to take away development rights without any compensation to the landowners.
10:38AM I think a County Auditor is on staff. Surely Mr. McCain would not be participating in a violation of the County Charter.
Comment from the post, below, titled "Pollitt Diddles While Wicomico County Burns" --
Anonymous said...
we need to fix and upgrade our counties infrastructure and Ricky can only talk about spending money on non-essentials. what is wrong with this character? he truly doesn't get it. please someone step up to the plate and get him out of there. and to all who come to this blog; stop complaining if you're not going to work to get a conservative in his place. and if you really want change be willing to make a change.......
11:05 AM
Why do we have an elected county executive along with still keeping Matt Creamer and Ted Shea on the payroll? Looks like Tricky Ricky can't stand the pressure alone. Also, get rid of the position of P.I.O. for Fineran. Another "good old boys" position filled because of the "magic ring" club. Clean out the third floor of the Government Office Building and start over with a new more conserative group of people.
Here is a question to ask "Yourself" how can the county function when the revenue being taken in is the same as the year of 1955 ??? This same and mirror game all you realestate people play is disgusting and offensive. Notice the big criers are those that own major property in the county or will benefit from the sale of the same.
This is no differant than Stormin Norman Conway. He appears humble with good intentions and all he has done is line he and he wife's pocket for years.
There is a new movement underway. It called h0nesty and integrity in goverment. All right I laughed pretty hard myself when i wrote it. O.K. I am still laughing. There are those out there paying attention to special interest groups and some unethical politicians. Just watch when those announce. I can see bill boards with facts and details closer to November. If you have nothing to hide then run. If you are a crook be prepared to face the music.
A little off base but needed to be said. Alter the tax REVENUE cap keep it real so that all benefit from it not just property owners. IT iS NOT A TAX CAP.
11:50 -- WRONG!
The tax revenue that the County extracts from property owners is much greater than in 1955 -- you must be dreaming (or stupid). And it has increased greatly since Pollitt and McCain were elected in 2006.
But for the tax cap, it would probably have increased a lot more, too.
I don't support repealing the revenue cap based on the County's current spending habits; HOWEVER, if the County leaned up and proved more fiscal responsibility and more revenue was actually needed then I would support repealing or adjusting the revenue cap. Currently the revenue cap is structured in such a manner that revenue can not keep up with the growing costs caused by growing population and inflation. The revenue cap has even more issues when property values go down during recessions; similar to what we are going through now. But like I said, my thoughts are based on the County changing their ways and that doesn't seem like it will ever happen.
In addition, a lot of people complain about repealing the revenue cap, but have no idea that their wants and desires promote the revenue cap. More of you support repealing the revenue cap and don't even realize it!
If you supported the purchase of the Civic Center parking lot then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you support purchasing new property to relocate Bennett Middle then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you support the overly extravagant new Bennett High School and the money wasted on upgrading East College Ave when Bennett Middle is to be relocated and Bennett High traffic is to be rerouted down Onley Road then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you supported the West Metro Park purchase then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you support building a "state of the art" new library and acquiring a new location for it then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you complained about poor snow remove this winter despite the extremely limited budget at the Road Department then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you support fully funding the BOE's frivolous spending year after year then you support repealing the revenue cap.
If you support any kind of frivolous spending, then YOU SUPPORT THE REVENUE CAP! If you want these services and facilities at a higher standard then guess what...you have to PAY FOR THEM! As citizens, before you speak in favor of some of these projects you must ask yourself, "If I support this project is it going to be work paying extra in taxes?" You have to weight your costs and benefits before you open your mouths. Now granted you can and should be able to have some things without question in a good economy, but when the economy is in the tank and you promote and support the poor spending of the County then the things we NEED (like educationa and emergency services) become unattainable! The County should prioritize the needs and eliminate the wants. Blame the elected officials all you want, but you vote for them making you partially to blame for their inefficiencies!
I would like to conclude by stating that the revenue cap WILL be repealed. The only question remaining is when? It can be delayed for certain if the County cleans up their spending habits, but it can not be avoided. It is impossible to operate a modern budget on a 20 year on revenue. Instead of trying to prevent to the repealing of the revenue cap, us Citizens need to promote better spending to delay it and be proactive in developing a new revenue cap that will not allow the County's spending to run amuck again.
I hope people have the courage to speak out and run, considering the critical judgement we see laced on those that do.
Whats the county going to do about the slumlords buying houses in expensive devlopements and putting 5 or 10 people in them? or in our developement, a local slumlord was allowing 7 couples to live in a 3 bedroom house in the county. We need rental laws..
2:07...you're the big joke...you have virtually no facts
4:36- What facts do you want? I don't see in your post where you supplied facts to the contradict anything I said. Hey, just crawl back in your liberal hole and the rest of us will save the county.
What the County Government needs is a spending cap, an internal audit staff and and a "house cleaning" on the 3rd floor. We did not vote for an Executive 3rd floor office; we voted for a County Executive. Why is Ted Shea, Matt Creamer, Ed Baker & Jim Fineran working for the County? Ask yourself what the County Council did in the late 90's to warrant the extreme hike in the real estate tax rate? What cost did the former County Adminstrator & County Council incur then and still pay for now? Without a change in spending habits, the tax cap needs to stay!
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