Like other counties and municipalities, Wicomico County has just finished its budget process for FY 2012. Our councilmen and women worked incredibly hard; even if I didn’t agree with every one of their decisions. The deserve a break – but not for very long..
Between now and Christmas the Wicomico Council needs to tackle a few issues. Delay on some of these is tantamount to a tax increase.
- PENSION REFORM – the county’s current defined benefit pension plan is a disaster waiting to happen. Just look at numerous localities in California as well as the states of California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York. While little can be done regarding current employees, changing the system for all new hires to a DEFINED CONTRIBUTION system will not only save the taxpayers money, but will eliminate the possibility of unfunded liabilities being left to our children and grandchildren.
- ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD – the council must vote to send a letter to the county’s legislative delegation NO LATER THAN October 1. There is no point going through the fiasco we went through this year. Sending a letter to the delegation in early October does not permit them to hide behind the excuse of it being late again. The 2012 session will be our last chance to get the measure on the 2012 ballot. If we wish to have an elected school board by 2014 we need to pass a referendum in 2014.
- WORKING WITH THE COUNTY EXEC – it is important that the county council become an EQUAL partner in county government. This means that the County Executive must be willing to work with the council, and they with him. To date, Rick Pollitt has only been willing to meet with council when it suits HIS agenda. That must end. One suggestion by Councilwoman Stevie Prettyman (R-2) is to have Pollitt personally bring all legislation from his office before the council and field questions. This isn’t a bad idea. In fact, it’s a darn good one. If Pollitt doesn’t want to comply or wants to cite “separation of powers”, then the council can simply stick his legislation in a drawer. As for council working with Pollitt, they need to be honest brokers. Because Pollitt has been so reluctant to work with council for the last 4 1/2 years, any claim that the council has refused to work with Pollitt is nothing more than political grandstanding.
- OVERSIGHT – Executives always scream “micro-managing” when the legislative body attempt to provide the oversight which is part of their duty to the people who elected them. Next year’s budget is going to be far more severe than FY 2012. The time is now to begin exercising meaningful oversight over all county departments and agencies as well as the Wicomico County Board of Education. If cost cutting measures can be found, they should be suggested. The council cannot FORCE anything upon the Executive – except through the county purse. However, drawing attention to needed change is good for the citizens of Wicomico County, and ultimately good for the Executive.
That should get them started. Let’s see what they are able to accomplish. While I don’t always agree with each member of council, we should all recognize them as the decent, hardworking people that they are.
G. A. Harrison is a frequent contributor to “Salisbury News”. “Delmarva Dealings” appears each Wednesday and Sunday at Noon on SbyNEWS.com.
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7 comments:
Jim Ireton is the biggest crybaby of "micromanaging" there is. Ireton whined and whined about Barrie Tilghman. He supported the efforts of Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen to get the city to run a better ship. Once he got in though he started selling them both down the river even as they tried to help and support him. Now he's turned on them like a rabid animal. Only reason my cousin (who lives in the city, I do not, thank God!) voted for him was a belief that he supported the common sense of those two women.
I'm not happy with everything the county council did, either, G.A., but I hope they keep Pollitt in line. Sometimes the power just goes to these executives' heads and they start beating on the councils. Just remember, execs (that means you, Ireton and Pollitt), the councils start with your budgets and it's their jobs not to just say yes to everything you want. Otherwise, the citizens would just crown you king and call it a day. Salisbury and Wicomico could use some execs who have some humility. Neither current one has any I can see.
The county's pension plan is not a problem. It is very healthy because of the amount the employees pay into it, and the way it is managed. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You can't compare the county's plan to that of California or Wisconsin. It is probably the only decent benefit that the employees have. Even though it is expensive.
Job Number 1:
Change back to the Council-Manager form of government.
A smaller county such as Wicomico can't afford and does not need an elected executive. It makes for tension and strife among the elected officials, as we have seen with the County and (for much longer) the City of Salisbury, which also has an elected exec (mayor). I rest my case.
GA--when were you elected President of the County Council. I thought only the President could set the agenda.
7:14, Hey idiot, we never had a council/manager form of government. Just par for the course on how much you people really know about local government. Remember, most of the people that voted for the cap, voted for the executive form of government. What a bunch of dummies.
945 Just because both passed doesn't mean there is a 100% correlation. No one knew the Executive form of government would end up the horendous mistake it has become. No one thought we'd have such an incompetent, arrogant a$$ in office such as Pollitt. I do like the tax cap. We've had a long history of increases in taxes up to that point, inefficient government, waste, fraud, and abuse of funds. So, the cap has at least made it less painful for the taxpayers who continued to pay without seeing any improvements. It is painfully clear that what we have now, simply does not work. Pollitt has no conscience to follow what is best for the county as he only follows Ricky's political compass. He is over his head and it will become much more obvious when he no longer has Shea to do his job. I wish he would do everyone a favor and just resign from office and move to Baltimore.
3:52, you need to get some sleep. You might be less delusional. It isn't a tax cap. How many times do you have to be told that? Are you simply too ignorant to understand? Before you start calling people incompetent a$$es, you should look in the mirror. Do you even know Pollitt to be able to judge his conscience or compass, or do you just like to make noise? I do, and you could not be more wrong. Maybe you are the one to go to Baltimore where there are so many more just like you.
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