In this morning’s budget session, the Wicomico County Council re-visited Wednesday’s decision to give level funding for the office of the County Executive. At the time, this was to facilitate County Executive Rick Pollitt’s plan to re-organize his office.
This morning a majority of the council agreed to cut $100,000 from the department and place the money in contingency. If Pollitt agrees, he can ask council to approve his reorganization plan without having to make additional cuts from the county budget. If he does not, the council can still make the proposed cut and the funds would trigger a small reduction in the prevailing tax rate.
More to follow …
24 comments:
about time they are listening.
This is a good START! They will save on Shea's position this way. However, to keep the projected increases in pay from salary grade increases, they need to cut another $50,000 or so. Way to go council!!! Now we're moving in the right direction, DESPITE TRICKY RICKY! The voters are finally being represented!! Pollitt, you are gone in a few years, pal.
Kudos to the Council......finally acting on the mandate last election!
Golly, Mr. Dillon, elections do make a difference, after all!
Whoa, let's use that money to fix the roads for a change.
County Folks - 1
Tricky Ricky - 0
But that's just the start of things.
Mr. Pollitt:
You've been blogged!
Yes!
What's happening with the 5 cent increase? I hope they all have the guts to pass it. We need it and the revenue cap is built to allow for it.
Joe:
Your post yesterday about this scam by Slick Rick was a winner --
http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2011/06/letter-to-editor_1646.html
Can the "PIO" -- now -- please.
To0 bad, Rick, that daddy took the t-bird away.
Is the beer cold yet?
1:25 Fineran or Tricky Ricky, give it up man! We don't want you no more. We don't want your programs either. Go back to Eden or across the Bay because you've worn out your welcome!! Goodbye.
We need the 5 cents increase not a sdecrease in tax. Council had a responsibility to the constituents of this county.
From this morning's article in the Daily Times about productivity slowing in the U.S.
"WASHINGTON -- U.S. companies squeezed more work out of their staffs in the first three months of the year. But the gain was much slower than in the previous three months, suggesting many employers will need to hire more workers if they want to produce more goods and services"
If Wicomico County Council kills the 5 cent tax rate increase and productivity of Wicomico County slows, expect production by Wicomico County government to continue to slow year after year. The answer to increased productivity will not be hiring and the introduction of new programs. Wicomico County would require an increase in revenues for increased productivity and NO WAY will the current Wicomico County Council or those who have responded to this post permit Wicomico County government the opportunity to increase its revenue.
For those of you whom support the 5 cent increase: If you want to pay more in taxes there is nothing stopping you. I'm on a fixed income and I can not afford one more cent. I understand the situation our county is in and I hope the county understands my situation. And I'm not alone == I know several in the same financial situation.
3:55, I am 1:25. I'm not going anywhere; nor my husband, 3 kids, and 4 grandkids. We have lived here in Wicomico county for generations and I would suggest that perhaps you are the horse's behind who should go somewhere. I have seen this county through good times and bad, and we need the extra revenue. Thank goodness not everyone here is as thickheaded as you (or mean, too, for that matter.)
6:28, just about everybody I know is on a "fixed income." They make the same amount of money each week/month. I am a senior on a "fixed income," but I will gladly pay the extra property tax to have the amenities we've become used to. As Pollitt (I believe) pointed out, an extra 5% tax on a $150,000 house (an average home) would amount to $75 more a year. That is $6.50 a month, which wouldn't buy anything more than a McDonald lunch. After a while, the "fixed income" argument gets tiresome.
I could live with the .05 cent tax increase if needed. What I can't live with is Mr. Pollitt's plan to re-organize his office. When the Executive form of Govt. was voted in I am sure most taxpayers thought the department would be the Executive, maybe one assistant and an office person. With what Mr. Pollitt is proposing what will he be doing?? We did not elect him to just go to dinners, speaking engagements and to campain for himself. We elected him to lead the County, do the budget (which he has not), show transparity for the county (none here)and speak for himself (No PIO). It is crazy for him to want to increase the size of his department. This County should learn what the Executive department cost!! Could your site publish this?? Mr. Pollitt is not worried that most personnel are gone from Emergency Mangement, many other departments are very short on personnel, from what I have heard the Roads Department has lost over twenty personnel due to layoffs, transfers, and retirements, no wonder the county roads are getting is such bad shape!! I hear employees never see Mr. Pollitt or the PIO and all we ever see is very small articles in the paper from him. Mr. Pollitt had a "very" small article in today's Daily Times saying he would like to hear from residents about his re-organization plan - My comment to this is do what we are paying you for!! No more personnel!! Your office staff it to large now!! Publish what your department is costing us!! If this plan goes thru county residents need to vote to go back to the Council Council form of Govt.
1:25, 7:14, 7:49. The MAJORITY of people of Wicomico County DON'T WANT A TAX INCREASE! Get it through your thick skulls. We DON'T want Tricky Ricky anymore either. He is underhanded and very sneaky and can no longer be trusted. He's been like this for years, ask the people in Fruitland who worked with him. Just look at what he said about Shea's job when he came into office. He was to be there for a very short period of time for transition. Well, he held Ricky's hand for his entire first term and the only reason he's leaving is becuase he's retiring. Tricky didn't keep his word at all and cost us over half-a-million more dollars including salary and benefits!!!!! Now, he is attempting to pull an end-run with his deception with new jobs, internal promotions of unqualified personnel and give US a tax increase that won't go away when the property values go back up!! Pay more taxes if you want. BUT, don't feel like you have ANY SUPPORT from the MAJORITY of Wicomico citizens who DO NOT want it! I hope he leaves our county ASAP and becomes unemployed and see's what it is like...what he's caused for so many in our county due to his politics.
9:24, Why do you and so many get on here and talk, only to show how ignorant you are? You said "and give US a tax increase that won't go away when the property values go back up". Are you really that ignorant like so many other people that voted for the Property Tax Revenue Cap that you don't understand what it does? The county cannot increase its revenue by more than 2% from the previous year. Property tax revenue (the amount that people are paying) has gone way down. Under the ptrc guidelines, put in place by short sighted people, the county should increase the tax rate to atleast hold a level line property tax revenue. The part that you are saying, that it will never go back down is just stupid. If property values go back up, and assesments do, the tax rate will automatically be forced lower, just as it has over the last many years, so that the county will not exceed more than a 2% increase in property tax revenue. Understand? Probably not, that it why it is sad that people would vote for something that they don't understand.
The tax is not what it was 5,10 years ago. There is a CAP year by year, understand? Probably not! I'm saying we're paying TOO MUCH! Understand, probably not! We need to be concerned about paying LESS taxes AND getting what we pay for. Understand? Probably not!!! A cap is only for STUPID people like you who think taxing and spending should just be a way of life. Big government even on a small level is USELESS. So is Tricky Ricky as his deception and so are YOU! Understand? Probably not!!!!!!!!!
11:44, evidentally YOU don't understand. I understand that there are services that need to be provided. You are right, the tax rate is NOT what it was 5 or 10 years ago. IT IS LOWER. Understand? probably not. What kind of tax rate will people be happy with? Better yet, what services are you willing to live without in order to have one of the lowest tax rates in the state? Understand? Probably not.
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