Mayor James Ireton, Jr. made his announcement regarding his veto of the 2011-2012 Budget for the City of Salisbury. The announcement, made today at the corner of Bateman/Onley Road in Salisbury, was the site of his announcement. Mayor Ireton presented his rationale, it is below.
“Veto Rationale:
City Council leadership has turned its back on our neighborhoods, our employees, and our community partners.
Bateman/Onley Road - I support. Council, in turning back the upgrade to the intersection, has turned its back on Bennett High students, the Salisbury University neighborhood, the State of Maryland, the State Highway Administration, and the Board of Education
PAC 14 - I support. Council, in changing the funding formula, has turned its back on the community access television station. Less community access means less transparency in local government.
Downtown Revitalization - I support. Council has turned its back on continuing our progress downtown and has turned its back on the volunteers that have brought thousands of visitors and generated revenue for our businesses. They have turned their backs on Urban Salisbury's efforts. When we spend more on a snow blower than on downtown revitalization, and we micromanage a community partner's budget...we turn our back on progress.
Furlough Equity - I support. Council has turned its back on the values of fairness and equity in furloughing city employees. Employees have given back some 3 Million dollars to city coffers in the past 3 years, and we have done so by spreading the hardships across all departments. Council, in turning its back on this equity, pits employees against each other.
Neighborhood Lighting Upgrades - I support. Council has turned its back on taxpayers in the Canal Woods and Spring Chase neighborhoods. Citizens expect city government to hold up its end of the bargain and provide services. Council, in putting off Linens of the Week demolition, has this week, turned its back on the Church Street Neighborhood. An All-America Cities don't leave certain neighborhoods behind in their revitalization efforts. I won't leave these neighborhoods behind.
Water and Sewer Rate Increases - I supported using a portion of the $5.7 Million in Water and Sewer surplus to buy down the rate increase. Council did not. The on-going WWTP litigation and costs will impact our sewer rates for many years to come. Council turned its back on citizens sewer bills by not dipping into this surplus to reduce the increase.
Fire Department cuts total some 15%, 210K more out of surplus has been taken, micromanaging of Urban Salisbury and PAC 14 and the Humane Society and Department Heads and mayor’s office all contributed to the veto.
In order to lead, we must know what we are for. Council Leadership, namely Mrs. Cohen and Mrs. Campbell, are completely sure what they are against - yet can never tell us what they are for. Leadership is having the vision and guts to be FOR something. This budget passed under their leadership shows no leadership - simply put they have chosen to micromanage our community partners to settle old scores and have abandoned our neighborhoods in their greatest time of need. I have shrunk the size of government almost 20% since becoming mayor - and yet found a way, in my budget to keep the priorities of neighborhood integrity, continued crime reduction, and investing in our infrastructure. Council has passed a budget under cover of night with little or no citizen input or scrutiny from the press. For these reasons I veto the FY 11-12 City of Salisbury Budget today.”
25 comments:
Joe:
Please tell me that this garbage is Jim-Beau's and not yours.
Council did its job very well, but Jimmy boy does not like it and throws another tantrum.
What's new?
Go get 'em, Jim! Good for you!
Jim Ireton is a huge disappointment. he would rather have employees furloughed than accept the budget that the council worked on. He wants to fund Urdan Salisbury at $5,000 higher than council and that's worth a veto? that's worth furloughing street level police officers. I'm done with Jim
Plase tell me this biggest cry baby in the city has not done this.
Council did do their job. He throws so many tantrums - I don't think there is a corner big enough to accommodate him. Shame, shame on your Jim Ireton, you are a disgrace to this city.
I support the Bateman/Onley Road Improvements. Its a shame the Town made an agreement and is now backing down. This City is a disgrace
can someone explain what the procedure is now? With this veto of the council budget, does his original budget get used... how does this process move forward now?
curious but, will admit to ignorance regarding the process now
thanks for insight from anyone who knows
The city didn't back down. Go to the clerk's office and read the agreement. Read the minutes from teh council meeting under Louise Smith's leadership and see where it was voted down months ago. Why was Frederickson there today? Seems to me that he and Jim might both have a conflict of interest on that funding item. Ethics complaint anyone?
PAC 14 = transparency in government? Curious as to it's viewership #'s because I have never heard anyone say WOW what a great show or WOW local government is more transparent now. Best local coverage comes from Bill Reddish's interviews - a non government funded entity.
I think it is a Great Thing that the money the city has saved by putting their employees on furlough is going to be used to build sidewalks in Harbor Pointe subdivision and other projects as such. Way to go Ireton. Take care of the cities employees we really appreciate it. You wont have my vote in the next election
Jim says...
"Fire Department cuts total some 15%"
And the downside of this is what?? Nothing you idiot, they were doing what you didn't have the balls to do. I want my vote back.
Jim Ireton you are a worse leader(and I use that term loosley) than Barrie Tilghman and Louise Smith combined. You are a disgrace!!
What a lot of childish hot air from the man who rode Debbie Campbell and Terry Cohen's coattails into the mayor's office. Pimping for his boss, in my opinion. Sure, Jim Ireton has convinced me that Debbie and Terry are the anti-Christ of neighborhoods.
Joe, will you let this comment fly if I say the term "douchebag" comes to mind?
What a whiner, sure.
But anyone can see what this is. Ireton is afraid one of those ladies will run against him in two years.
He'll assassinate his friends to keep his power. What a _____.
Ireton, I won't vote for you again if you're the last speck on this planet.
Ireton is done.....has has proven his poor decision making abilities as well as his immaturity.
Dear Jim ,
I don't think you realize that the worse is yet to come.
Our country has been in a depression for a few years and it will get worse very shortly.
Open your eyes and read the writing on the wall.
It's going to get real BAD!!
I would have to say that not all city employees are equal. Police officers who walk the high crime areas of this city are higher on the totem pole than secretaries, and just about any other city employee, in my opinion. You wouldn't catch me walking down Booth St. on a Saturday at 3 a.m. (No offense to the good people who are forced into the only housing they can afford in that area.) Furloughing police officers is a great way to show your support princess. I, too, want my vote back. It's hard to believe this guy was the lesser of two evils in the last election.
I'm happy Jim Ireton finally found his backbone and stood up to Cohen and Campbell. I agree with Mayor Ireton 100%.
Did Terry and Debbie keep their health insurance paid for by us?
I hope they kept their health insurance. No reason not to have it!
Can the council override the veto, with a super-majority vote?
Help just went away!
Ireton = sore loser
Jim is the man.
9:22 - Jim is the what did you say? Real men don't act like sissies and throw tantrums like this baby does. Jim doesn't know anything about being a man.
I must agree with 7:44. So many writers on this blog have been saying for months that the man lacks balls. Now he's finally showing that he, indeed, has a backbone. He gives specific reasons why he must veto the budget. You may not agree with him, but he does show some strength here. And 8:05. yes, the Council can override the mayor with a "super majority," that is, 4 of the 5 Council members voting to overturn the veto. Three are a given, so it really rests on Laura Mitchell (since Shields would vote with the mayor). Laura Mitchell does have an independent streak, as she assured us during the election, so it should be interesting.
SO, maybe thsi was just a set up. Iteron vetoes a budget that he knows is better than hi, gets a few stabs in at the ladies who have always had the fortitude to do what they think is right for the city, and knows that his budy Laura (from the central committee, don't ya know) will veto it and look like she is a team player. It's a better budget than his anyway. My bet - Ireton and Mitchell are working 24/7 to undermine the council in preparation for the next election.
alas, i'm afraid you're right.
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