Wicomico County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr., announced today that he has received a letter from Valerie Murphy, Chair of the Wicomico Public Library Board of Trustees, in which the trustees recommended suspending consideration of a site for a new county library headquarters in order to concentrate on the delivery of basic library services. Ms. Murphy stated, “With great reluctance, the Library Board has voted to withdraw from its $375,000 site acquisition grant award from the state and allow the funds to revert while reserving the right to reapply in the future. The Library’s 39% cut in County Operating Funds has created a crisis which makes even this preliminary step toward construction of a new Main Library impractical and inadvisable at this time.”
Mr. Pollitt reacted to the statement by saying, “Under the circumstances, I agree with the Library Board’s position and understand our immediate priority is to continue to make our county library viable and accessible to our citizens. I see this not as abandoning a noble cause but, to use a sports metaphor, it is a ‘rain delay’ until the project can resume when economic conditions warrant. I applaud the hard work and dedication that has brought us to this point and I continue to strongly believe that it is our duty to develop and work toward a vision that improves the quality of life for our residents. That part of the effort will continue.”
Pollitt stated that he will not pursue acquisition of a site for future library operations at this time but will work with the Library Board to make short-term improvements to the existing facility.
22 comments:
Hooray!
If you feel you need a shiny new library, good roads, and a great education: Move somewhere else. We don't need you in Wicomico County!
This is a good move, because it means that the satellite branches in Pittsvile, Bivalve, and at the Centre may not have to take as many cuts as we feared, and as far as I am concerned those smaller branches are vital to our community.
Rick
It's not a rain delay -- the fat lady has now sung!
It should be off the table for at least 5, probably 10, more years.
Was Ricky's "public info officer" there? -- what a waste that position is
It was pure stupidity to even think about doing this during this recession/depression! If you have a computer with internet access, you don't even need to go to the library anymore. Technology will eventually replace them anyway. The building and location are fine where they are. There is absolutely no need for this now, or in the future!
Hallelujah and Praise the Lord, they have finally come to their senses.
The library displays the intellect of an area. This community will never be a progressive one unless we have leaders who have "balls". Thank God the mayor who established the park did not listen to those who criticized his "folly".
Too bad this stance wasn't realized in connection with the Westside Park land purchase. Of course it sits there with nothing on it off of the tax rolls. And so-called Pirate's Wharf nearby--it too sits unused (except by the elite group of hunters allowed to lease it). I hope everyone remembers all this the next time Gary Mackes proposes buying parkland.
5:21, the park was not considered a folly then. And the city wasn't in the absurd financial shape it is now.
Glad the library board started paying attention to what's happening now.
To all those Montgomery County types on here, we'd love to have shiny new things. But unlike you, some of us gotta feed our kids. You're so smart, start a company and employ all us "un-progressives" at a living wage.
(Hint: I graduated from college, HAD a good job, now work two crap jobs to feed wife and 2 kids.)
It's awesome that we give up on even state funding when we are granted the opportunity to use it to improve our community. If we don't, we're no better than states like Massachusetts or worse yet, Michigan! We too would just be contributing to the reckless spending that permeates Washington.
I sure hope that we wise up and cut all kinds of other spending, like public education, transportation, park services, fire fighting, police officers, and even water treatment. That'll show 'em how seriously conservative we are!
If you can't afford it, you don't deserve any learning--or drinking water! Capitalism rules!
The right decision at this time; there are more immediate concerns.
I applaud the Library commission for their decision. It was the right one in these economic times. When the economic situation improves and if the need is still there, I hope that the residents of Wicomico will remember this board's decision Thanks Library Commission
Mayor Tom Parker was criticized severely when he bought the park area. It was considered a foolish purchase. Fortunately he had vision.
Wow, finally a good decision. This was a no brainer. I am not happy because it took so long for Rick to put the brakes on this. What a waste.
Rick didn't put the brakes on anything he is a straddle the fence kind of leader. He makes no decisions, popular or unpopular. He is a bureaucrat through and through. Send him back to Allen.
If Rick had any balls he would condemn the old mall property and take it through eminent domain from the Barrie Tilghman thieves since they have lived up to nothing. Instead he overpays them for 5 acres and received less than 5 acres in return for our money. Take that property for the good of the county and build a county complex on it. Take the library with you if you want it so bad.
Wicomico needs jobs! But they have to be jobs in growth industries. We're too tied to farming and crabbing to afford a library or anything else unless the money comes from Annapolis or Washington.
@ 9:51
The funny thing is, the funding WAS coming from the state and the feds.
Too bad nobody wanted to explain that fact to the people.
WOW! Rick finally realized he is up for re-election and the people totaly disagree with his OBAMANOMICS. SPEND SPEND SPEND and I lose my cushy job. Great political move but it still tells me change change change in the County Executive position. We are being over taxed and taxes raised at every chance they have to do so. People are saying that Rick has proposed no new taxes. No wonder we are still paying taxes on inflated property assesments when the market plummented. If that is not higher taxes then it must be stealing from the TAx Payer.
Look around this country. Their taxes are higher than here. The standards of the people who complain about taxes here are so low, they'll only stop complaining when there are no taxes at all. Then they'll complain about the crappy roads, schools, policing, fire service, etc., etc.
If you ain't happy here and you don't want to spend to build a community for the future, then find some woods or mountains, go build a log cabin and get out of the way.
now all we hear is keep the library in Pittsville open, if they want it let the Town of Pittsville pay for it....
Anon 7:24:
Is Pittsville not part of Wicomico County? Is not the library system called the Wicomico County Public Library? Thought so. So it stands to reason that there should be branches that serve other portions of Wicomico County. How do you feel about the Bookmobile? Do you think that the people that utilize that service should have to start paying for it?
Darn right I want to keep Pittsville open. It serves a purpose for those of us who live in Eastern Wicomico County. Just as the branch located at Bivalve Station serves that community. The library system is not all about Salisbury, and does not exist strictly for Salisbury.
Post a Comment