Cross posted from RightCoast
Last night's public hearing for the county budget had a less than steller turn out. Only about 55 to 60 people attended and I have to say without AFP participation, there maybe would of been a dozen or so, mostly from the school board. It seemed many had accepted the fate of large cuts to the county budget.
Some of our membership wondered why they should attend when most of what has to be said has been said and all the suggestions the could be suggested has been suggested, now it's up to county executive Rick Pollitt and the Wicomico county council to hammer out what and where to cut. There will be serval county budget meetings before July 1st, the date the budget will be finalized and filed. 
As it was pointed out, I had a previous engagement and was a bit late, so I missed much of the presentation and council comments. However, it had to be one of the shortest council meetings, I have ever attended.
Heavy cuts are promised, it's just unclear exactly where and to what. Unfortunately Pollitt, who didn't show up, also didn't fill out a lot of the information when submitting his budget to the council. Council President Gail Bartkovich did say that after the admonishing in the Daily Times newspaper, Pollitt is providing the needed and requested information, and the council is meeting with various departments to gain a greater understanding of the needs and requirements of each indivigual department, so they canproperly assess Pollitt's budget proposal and make decisions.
I personally can not understand why a line by line detailed budget is not available to the public. It certainly would make understanding what specifically the money is going towards, and I don't just mean the county budget, I mean the Board of Education as well.
The council seems to be doing it's due diligence and trying to do the right thing. Why Pollitt has not provided the public or the council with detailed information is beyond me.
In any event, politics certainly makes strange bed fellows. I couldn't resist this picture.
For more detailed information, check out monoblogue
"Let’s begin with the constant yield hearing, where Director of Finance Patricia Petersen carefully explained the legalese which in essence told us that the county was choosing not to lower the property tax rate to that where the revenue yielded would be the same (constant yield) but instead maintaining the same rate as last year. Instead of lowering the rate to 74.91 cents per $100, the rate will stay at 75.9 cents per $100 – that extra penny gained by keeping a stable rate will net Wicomico County $683,364 in additional revenue, yet no one commented. That state-mandated hearing was over in about three minutes. So while Rick Pollitt can say he didn’t increase the tax rate, it proves the old adage that “your results may vary.”
15 comments:
Who is he?
Standing by my side is Mr. Jim Fineran, PIO to Rick Pollitt.
While we agree to disagree on issues, Jim is a great man and I'm proud to call him my friend. Business is business and personal is personal. Fortunately Jim and I know how to divide the two like professionals.
Yeah I bet thats just what hes thinking.
Fineran is a nice man, as is Pollitt, but that and a bag of chips won't get you lunch.
Nobody who gets paid with tax dollars to do nothing is a "nice man" (or woman).
I think the low turnout was pretty predicatable.I believe that many citizens think that the county fiscal crisis is because of the economic slump ( and that is partially true) and that in time we will come out of it. So they seem to accept thier fate and hope for better days.
Wishful thinking on thier part.This year is bad and next year is probably going to be alot worse.Wicomico always trails the national economy by at least 6 to 9months.So there won't be any real "recovery" from a revenue standpoint until 2012...if then.
I agree with RightCoast that far more detail is needed for citizens to grasp how money is being spent and, therefore,where reductions can be made without ruining our quality of life.
The shortfall is in the millions and the suggestions from citizens,while they have merit,fall woefully short in terms of any real impact on the buget gap.
Very significant change is needed and I wonder if a majority of citizens are ready to make those changes.
11:25 I hear you. It is a sad time in America not just here. People all want to talk about the problems. Yet they never do a darn thing. The same 10% go out and work to make change.
If the County Council and Rick could just look people in the eyes and tell the whole truth things would be a little better. The arrogant posture they are sooo much smarter then all the public. This just amazes me. Power is a strong drug. Every great leader that fell in love with his own image failed.
The fact that people who literaly stole from the county are still employed and those who did not have the right last name are gone is nothing more than political corruption.
What deal did Baker get. No one will talk about it. Well what ever it was it was wrong at the time they did it. Again corruption.
What happend to the Forensic Auditor. I understand Deputies escorted her out of the county building when she was terminated. What did they fear was this women a killer, insane ??? I guess they did not want any documentation getting out to the public that would hurt those who have stolen from tax payers for years. Try to ask the Seven Dwarfs about any of these issues you get NO answer. Rick will avoid it at all cost.
People it is time for new blood in office. Look at what impact Mike Lewis has by just standing up and telling people the facts. People love it. Mike for County Exec. That would solve a lot of problems.
Joe Albero has made more impact on the political community in the last four years then anyone has in twenty. Joe politicians cant stand someone willing to call them out. Keep the heat on them.
The Disgusted Wicomican
"If the County Council and Rick could just look people in the eyes and tell the whole truth things would be a little better"
Things would be ALOT better.Sunshine is a great healer.The lack of faith and confidence in government is a terrible rot in this country and here locally. The only way to really address that is, as you said, look people in the eye and communicate truthfully and often.
Dummies, you added another layer of government. You are now trying to force people to do twice what they should only be doing once ----- speak at public hearings. The County Council is so lost. Wakeup people you are missing a good life.
Great jacket!
Cut the police, cut the BOE, cut the fire department; these cuts are made with ease. Yet I still cannot understand why cuts are never made to welfare recipients. These people rarely vote, they don't know whats going on in government, and they are non-productive in society. If you cut the payments, they will move out of the area.
Where is the benefit of keeping these people prop'ed up?
Wicomico County leaders attitude is; "Do as I say." "Not as I do." Who wants to attend meetings with a bunch of people who could really care less as to what may or may not happen to hard working citizens. They don't have to worry about, "If I wake up tomorrow and go to work, will I still have a job?" "How on earth am I going to pay this telephone, cable, electricity or insurance bill?" "How in the world am I gonna pay the mortgage bill for this month?" "How much longer are my children gonna have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and hot dogs with bake beans for dinner?" "Oh" "How much longer am I going to be allow to keep my cat?" "The price of dog and cat food is expensive." "Poor thing hasn't seen the vet for two years."
Will someone please tell me what our county representatives have done for us lately except create, layoffs, pay reductions, and furloughs. We haven't had a decent pay raise or cost of living increase in years. But, our retirement investment and medical insurance payments has certainly increase.
With all this budget "problem" going on in Wicomico County w/o any form of resolution and our hard working low and middle class family lives are falling at the waistline; who wants to go to these meeting.
These people aren't listening. They won't listen. And, they haven't listen in the past. So, why should we bother to go to these meetings. We might loss our jobs anyway. Furthermore, we know that the "Good 'Ole Boy" B-Hood system of thing is still at work in Wicomico County. And, that really sucks for tax paying citizens and their employees of Wicomico County.
I agree 8:00 no one seems to adress the white elephant in the room" welfare and effect of illegals on the system. This is the basic problem! Why cut expected taxpayer covered expenses like fire, police, small GOV, and schools (with less burcrants who suck up 9 of every ten dollars that should go to teaching the 3 R"s- cut out the middle man in education )Why should I bust my ass to cover what i see and know to be a joke. Welfare and the BOE, both bloated finacial PIGS who need to be made into to pork chops. Why should hard honest citzens pay for these additonal burdens on our overall costs.
My grand daddy had a saying Champagne taste on a beer budget. Government like those type of people don't know the value of a dollar and assume it grows on treeeeeees? UGH
Sorry but i was at the fruitland council meeting last night and some good ideas from a very eliquent gentleman made allot of sense..Hope they heard the message The solution simple...move to a lower basic gal useage rate with a higher fee for over usage. pay as you go solution! A break for the elderly who use less water, by reducing the basic gal allownance with for differnent rates appied for bussiness and residnetal who choose to use more. This made allot more sense then just a blanket increse for all no matter how little water you really use. Why pay for what you don't use and someone else who's using allot. The current overage fee should be looked at for the additonal revenue. and by reducing the basic cost a WIN WIN for a poltician.. The current overusgae fee is a joke for bussiness like walmart, hampton inn etc.."they make money we get wages" ..a big differnce But devil is in the details.. How do you figure the new basic rate, what to charge for over usage, and how to protect someone from getting shafted from a leaky faucet
The problem in Fruitland and other small towns is they always keep the status quo when considering budgets. The same or better benefits and pay for staff but few benefits to the taxpayers. They always talk about improving our streets but rarely do. They talk about what a great job workers did during the snowstorms which was a lie. A few days after one storm there was still only room for one car to get through Division Street. It's a lot of BS talk and no action from the elected officials. All the new growth did not bring prosperity with it. Not for those who are on fixed incomes. We are still faced with increases to the point that we can no longer afford to live in our homes we've had for 40 years or more. It's time for the council to look at reducing employee paychecks and benefits or layoffs like other companies are doing. If that is the only way to lower our fees and taxes. We can not keep moving in the direction we're heading. Good conservatives need to start running for public office! This year is a good time to get involved.
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