What SERVICES are you willing to give up to avoid a tax hike?
NOTE – the question is WHAT SERVICES. Don’t tell us how much money your local government wastes. We will save that discussion for another post. Either cite a specific line item in the budget that you want cut OR tell us what government services you are willing to go without. Sheriff’s Office? Parks? Recreation? Schools? And yes, I know that the Sheriff’s office and the schools cannot be entirely eliminated under state law.
PS – thanks to the commenter who suggested this question.
64 comments:
This is a good chance for the taxpayers to sit at home and voice their opinion. During this period of hard economic times, as a head of the household we have cut back on the travel, entertainment and dining out for our family. I think the county should cut back on parks and recreation and any non-profits allotments. If more is needed then take a look at the top heavy school system.
Allow a realistic hand gun carry permit, legalize drugs in personal use levels statewide (provide them thur medically supervised clincs, focused on rehab). This would cut the Sherrif's budget in half. Our money is just beening thrown away with the current crime program, with no results. This way you put the black market and dealers out of business. The other departments need to run a lean operation, but a tax increase back to levels of a decade or so ago will have to be implemented.
Cut the sheriff's department back to their legally required duties of court security and paper service. That would force the state police to increase manpower to fill in the holes. This would save the county millions. The state has more money to play with. Our county taxes are already some of the highest in the state.
EPA, FCC, HUD, TSA, DOE, Just to name a few.
The School system; Obama will institute his own schools as he did the Health Care Law; just like Adolf Hitler did.
In the Mean time send the female students to MCIW= Maryland Correctional Institue for Women in Jessup and the boys to JPRU=Jessup Pre-Release unit Jessup Maryland. There are armed guards there as they have with the Sherriff Deputy who has been standing Watch at our schools and the Deputy can now be used in our County for the citizens.
The Teachers affected can apply locally to the detention center as Correctional Officers; something the Teacher has been doing all along in the school system and get paid more money.
PROBLEM SOLVED ON VARIOUS ISSUES
I would like to see the school system privatized and public unions outlawed.
I am sick and tire of the Wicomico County Council dumping millions of dollars in "grants" to the local volunteer fire companies to spend as they please. If anything this should be a county department ran by a county department head. Quit wasting my tax dollars to buy votes!
Many subdivisions have parks in them that county taxes take care of, these should be responsibility of each subdivsion. It is a failed experiment that started in late seventies. Take home cars for all except those on call at night.Cut number of paid holidays,seriously since when is black Friday a holiday.
Anonymous said...
Cut the sheriff's department back to their legally required duties of court security and paper service. That would force the state police to increase manpower to fill in the holes. This would save the county millions. The state has more money to play with. Our county taxes are already some of the highest in the state.
June 5, 2011 11:37 AM
And where do you think the state money comes from?? You idiot!!
Parks and Recreation , schools second.
Many Parks in the county are a waste. On any given day , we may 1 or two people at them.
The school system is a joke , free breakfast , lunch etc. has to stop.
Feed these kids prior to school I'm having trouble getting food for myself.
You want to enjoy some of the parks , do as I do , help pick up trash and and other needed things.
Anonymous said...
Many subdivisions have parks in them that county taxes take care of, these should be responsibility of each subdivsion. It is a failed experiment that started in late seventies. Take home cars for all except those on call at night.Cut number of paid holidays,seriously since when is black Friday a holiday.
June 5, 2011 11:57 AM
Maryland Day is/was a State holiday. The city and county gave up Maryland day to give it's employee's the Friday after Thanksgiving off. Many were taking that day off anyway so it is a win win situation.
If you are not happy that some employers give certain days off to its employees then I suggest you get the same job or get over it.
Education budget needs to be cut. Starting with the administration and winding down to the classroom. Math, science and english basics should be taught. Can anyone explain why money is being wasted on nonsense classes such as History of Pop Music and basketweaving?
Obviously "Problem Solved" has no children in the school system. I agree that we pay too much money for administration positions in the school system, but I'm tired of hearing old farts complain about schools as if education of children today doesn't affect them, and that their tax dollars shouldn't pay for my child's education. Remember, I'm paying your social security. something I will likely never get myself. Guess what? The world doesn't end when you die!
Cut another 5-10% in each category and let the "leaders" come up with what needs to go. Sheriff dept. could go to 15%-20%. Put all of the people on naylor mill on the streets, instead of riding desks. That will double our force alone. School system with the $5million or so is deep enough. Cut the grants, non-profit giving (let them do their own fund-raising). Parks & Recs is a waste. Let them be self-supportive or close. Stop or minimize the crap programs with drug treatment (mandatory for almost everything even if the conviction had nothing to do with drugs or alcohol), parole & probation (that does nothing). Just a few. We need to be creative and no sacred cows. Snow removal and grass cutting would be cheaper to contract rather than have all the equipment and year round workers. We can contract workers, on bids at much cheaper costs (no insurance, no retirement, no increases). Come on BIG Ricky!! Do your job and stop doing what others do or do nothing at all. We pay YOU to come up with new ideas and to make tough decisions, if you can't do that just throw in the towel and admit you are a failure and go to Annapolis or wherever you're going!
Maybe another good question and article should be what % of the budget are each of these depts. I think people will be surprised that parks and rec is miniscule when compared to other entities. I was surprised at last year's meetings just how small a % of the overall budget they are.
Parks and recreation are non-necessities that could be cut. Cops driving cars for personal business should be cut. I agree with 12:02 - free breakfasts and lunches in school should be revamped...too many families are benefitting from them who don't truly need it. While they're at it, menus should be completely redone to be HEALTHY - far fewer sick kids! Top heavy board of education - absolutely time to make some big cuts there. Flowers on town roads are lovely but not necessary. School employees could do crossing duty. Cut out day time teacher meetings and stop paying substitutes for those days = LOTS of money saved. Stop busing one kid on a bus b/c s/he is homeless and can go to any school. If other kids move, they have to enroll in the area school. Too much $ wasted on that. Cut out field trips. Why does the fire dept need so much money anyway? Have you ever gotten a bill for an ambulance ride? Well over $500. Do something about cops speeding NOT on a call - lots of gas $ saved.
Cut a lot of the funding to the Volunteer Fire Dept. They get over 100,000 a year across 13 Dept. plus SFD gets 100,000 for spec ops. In other counties fire dept. get much less and are able to function. Each dept. should submit a budget and county should approve it. However Pollit wont do that, there are a lot of votes that come from the depts., thats why he is trying to increase EMS funding. Just put more money into the sink hole.
I'm not really looking for cuts, although I think county executive needing anything more than 1 right-hand man and a secretary is ridiculous.
What I want to see is some management. If it takes 5 guys to fill a pothole, something's wrong. Break up that overkill and let them cut grass or clean up a park.
I would rather see a couple more school administrators go away and someone get kids into the parks and library. With hard times, those free places are where kids ought to be.
Anonymous said...
Maybe another good question and article should be what % of the budget are each of these depts. I think people will be surprised that parks and rec is miniscule when compared to other entities. I was surprised at last year's meetings just how small a % of the overall budget they are.
June 5, 2011 1:20 PM
I don't find this Miniscule at all:
Recreation $1,705,752
Civic Center $300,000
Pensions/Retirement $1,908,380
Health Insurance $5,218,143
Workers Comp $1,233,265
Youth/Civic Center Enterprise Fund
$1,697,900
Now that is money the County Council can't touch and they can spend it at they please. Now go P!ss on someone else's head and tell them it's raining!
Too many school supervisors that do NO classroom teaching:get rid of some of these people. NO takehome cars for non-emergency personnel. Takeaway the BS holidays like Black Friday and anything else such as Columbus Day, and that sacred cow MLK's b-day. Also Presidents Day which is just another excuse to go shopping.
reduce parks and recreation spending.
Somerset County Sheriff's Dept. is on M-F day time only. It has been working out; let it stay that way.
There is way to much money given to the Volunteer Fire Companies to spend as they see fit. Look at all the new parade pieces they have in Wicomico County. Every fire station has a brand new command vehicle, every fire station has a rescue truck and just about every fire station has a ladder truck? Why? It's nothing but a duplication of services.
Cut the sheriff's department back to their legally required duties of court security and paper service. That would force the state police to increase manpower to fill in the holes.
I believe the city/county would be required to pay for state police patrols.
This question should have been presented after a post showing the county budget, line by line.
every govt dept, federal, state, local should be cut by at least 35%. the govts are into to many things they shouldn't be doing. if you cut them that much they would have to reduce their spending. thanks sjd
When I read this question my first thought was, "I wonder if commenters on here will use this as a soapbox to promote gun rights, demonize educators, and compare Obama to Nazis?"
You guys did not disappoint.
I think the ferries should be closed down. If not they at least should be closed on holidays and weekends.
I would have several of the departments work four ten hour days (example roads).
Somerset County Sheriff's Dept. is on M-F day time only. It has been working out; let it stay that way.
Well Somerset County Sheriff's Dept does not handle 1% the calls that are handled by the two agencies that handle the county in Wicomico. The county has 5-6 working a shift and the state has 3-5 working a shift. Somerset has one maybe two a shift and the state in somerset has a maximum of two. No comparison there. Like another poster said the state would be forced to step up, but the county would have to reimburse the state like most of the western counties and small towns do. However the county, may save with no benefits, retirement, vehicle maintence. Not sure if it's the answer but something to look at.
use the ferry; pay for the ride.
cut park and recs by 20%
keep the park pristine so people will come to visit. work with tourism for this.
cut ricks department
revamp pensions
up deductible and co-pays for the health insurance.
combine city and county law enforcement.
cut ALL other departments 10% across the board.
revamp "free meals" in public schools. keep it simple and nutritious. piece of fruit and a GOOD energy bar. pb&j or lowfat cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with pretzels,fruit, yogurt and water to drink. how simple is that?
cut the fat at the top in public schools. yes there is plenty of fat at the top.
hold all departments accountable for all expenditures at least quarterly to be reported to rick and the entire council.
i'm sure there is much more that could be done to get our expenditures in line. every little bit helps. pennies make dollars. this budget can be balanced.....
Cut parks/recreation -- keep funds for schools and policing. Most of us can't afford to do much but stay home anyway, grateful we have homes at this point.
Definitely cut BOE funds. Especially at the top - too many chiefs, not enough indians, just like Ricky's office. Matter of fact if you get rid of Ricky and his office, you could save alot of money. Also Rec and Parks, and quit with the grants already.
Since I think different, I'll first ask that the services the County provides be documented and made public as seen from THEIR eyes. How else do we know what money is being spent on?
We can send missions into space with myriads of information about what they are doing. Why can't municipal governments unveil their activities after all these years of the Internet? 2012 needs to be a learning experience for those in Politics.
Just for everyone's info...the free/reduced meal program at schools is a FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED PROGRAM. It has nothing to do with our tax dollars. Families qualify based on an income formula that is created by the government.
There is nothing we can do about it!
Since more than 50% of my tax money goes to the WCBOE, I'll need an accounting of what actual dollars are spent in what way. I'm sure I could do without many of their services since the schools are such gang havens I have to send my kid to private school anyway. I'll bet I spend less per student than the public system is charging the taxpayers. I need at least a voucher for that amount.
Cheese! My verification word is "Swine"!
Cut all County funding to the Salisbury Fire Department. All they do is spend, spend, spend. This new guy wastes more money than Hoppes and Gordy both.
PIO and all those darn press releases and fluff-same for the Mayor's office.
Anonymous said cut 50000 from the general services dept., that will cut a worthless employee there
The county needs to push foward through these tough economic times. I read cut schools,police,parks etc.. people need to suck it up. To cut any position from county goverment just crates another unemployed county resident. I do not see people suffering as bad as they make out. The people who borrowed and got loans they could not afford are the people suffering. We do not know how great this nation is. Try living in a third world country.
Why not cut welfare to those buying steaks and lobster on food stamps. Driving Escalades to Walmart the first of every month. Try cutting medical assist. to young women who have had four kids out of wedlock. Point the finger where it needs to be pointed. Not at those who volunteer to fight fires,teach,fight crime. Keep the parks so famlies have a place to take children and maaintain a healthy life style. America has become a bunch of weak cry babies. We have kids fighting in a war that cost a billion dollars a week. Bring them home and secure our own boarders. We as Americans have no problem spending billions on tobacco and alcohol every year. Paying hundreds a year for internet. Cell phones, cable t.v., and the list goes on. There are those in this world that are dying for a bowl of freaking rice.
Stop your freaking crying and hold politicians, criminals, and welfare blood suckers accountable. You cry baby liberals are the reason this country is in the shape it is in. We created this problem, we can fix it.
Its time to get back to being a nation of strong patriotic Americans. Get involved.
The Wicomican
Cut the PIO.
Have Lewis refund all the money he has made giving speeches around the country for the past four years. This was done while he was supposed to be manageing the sheriff's dept. Then put Baker and Elliott on patrol.
Only essential services should be funded ---- essential as mandated by law. Every other service should be privatized, or eliminated. If people are in need of a service not funded by the government, then they should have to pay for it.
I love the contradictions. Cut parks and rec but make our parks nicer, cut sheriffs department but enforce more laws, cut school food spending but offer more nutritious higher quality (more expensive) food.
7:35 while I agree with you completely, the problems you mention are not all liberals ripping america apart. Many states and jurisdictions are in situations right now where conservative leaders are sticking it to the cops teachers and firemen, significantly reducing their pay and benefits while millionaires and billion dollar companies get breaks.
Cut out funding for ambulances and volunteer fireman especially Salisbury. At approximately 8:15 PM June 5, 2011 Wicomico County 911 dispatched Salisbury's ambulance to Germania Circle for a "Sick Subject." The 911 center told the ambulance from Salisbury the subject "feels like he ate to much." WTF!! Salisbury Paramedic 16 gave that person a free ride to the hospital and for what good reason??? Job security!
There is all the proof you need that the fire departments are ripping off the tax payers. I want my money back.
Do away with all sports programs in the county schools. This will eliminate a supervisor, coaches, busing, insurance, and probably much more. Parents put their kids on travel teams anyway so they can play there.
While we are at it, send kids to school 10 hour days for 4 days per week. This will save electric and busing costs in our schools.
Fruitland Fire Departments ambulance just dispatched to Poplar Street in Fruitland for a "tick bite." Come on now when is a tick bite requiring an emergency ambulance ride to the hospital. What a rip off.
Some people are sooo jealous of Lewis its pathetic. The fact that he travels around a speaks and manages to run the department speaks volumes. Real leadership earns the respect of the people in the trenches and makes them want to work hard for the leader. Lewis speaking out against drugs gives great reference for Wicomico County. He is a true example of a leader. One of the few in Wicomico County. Get over it. You will never be him. word verification "dingbat"
Cut the school system - egregiously overfunded - merit only - no unions - those that deserve get to stay!
I think funding for all the volunteer fire department ambulances should be cut. Allen Fire Departments ambulance went to Princess Anne tonight around 8:30 to help their ambulance. Why are Wicomico County tax payers funding an ambulance that spends most of its time in service in Somerset County. That ambulance only goes on about 50 ambulance calls a year and about 45 of them are in Somerset County.
Entire spd. Let it be absorbed by county sheriff's office. City officers can be hired by county, city vehicles can be repainted to match county vehicles, and have another sheriff's office.
More deputies with broader jurisdiction than city. City may still have to pay a stipend for sheriff patrols but fuel, insurance, wages and Bennie's would be gone.
Have a frequency and manned for cab drivers to directly report any criminal activity they see or thier runs for faster response for leo. ( if not already being done)
Have work release inmates perform cleaning and maintenace tasks that are currently performed by employess who could be re-assigned to other important areas.
Any studies for anything.
I see city & county trucks sitting at idle, windows closed ac on. Take away ALL take home vehicles. No one ever gave me a car to go to work.
Well, so far I see people talking about cutting EPA, FCC, (both of which are federal items, ashame people don't know local tax from federal), cutting sherrifs department, (MSP aint gonna beef up without payment from the county), contracting services (the state used to do this, it is a luxury because it ends up costing more in most cases ESPECIALLY grass and snow, that's why they are cutting their own grass now), it was stated we have one of the highest tax rates in the state, (sorry just the opposite). 4 ten hour days, (the county's job is to provide services, what do you do on day number 5 when I call and it is an emergency). Like somebody said, cut the parks, but don't cut the parks. I really haven't seen many suggestions of things that we really can cut. I did see highschool sports, true, it is not necessary. How about magnet school. Not mandated. Well, I guess that the coucil will have to decide for us since they are slashing the budget. Better call them and let them know what you want to keep.
Let's cut out any money for the roads, I mean, won't they last forever? What is a few potholes, I don't need them for everyday life. If we do that, we def. won't have to worry about fire, police, schools, parks, etc. because unless you have a horse, you ain't gonna have to worry about getting anywhere. I win, my idea saves the most money and is almost as smart as some of the other suggestions that I have seen on here.
313 Excellent!!
Cut funding to the Salisbury Fire Department. Wannabe Jeff Simpson is so corrupt and Joe and G.A. are protecting this guy. For what reason? Expose him for the trash he is!
7:17 AM
ty
Entire executive branch of county government. We were doing much better before the referendum to implement the branch.
Move to top
um 1038 you mean pre-solid waste fraud break?
I work for a small business and had my pay cut 35% and alot of the perks eliminated do to the times we are in.
Why not CUT EVERY city and county employees pay by 35%.
Thats better than getting laid off
12:49
Nothing was done to recoup the loss, what's the difference? Mike Lewis broke that scam not Rick Pollitt! Pollitt let Sharma off the hook with retirement to boot!Get a grip.
Only because he was being manipulated by Ted, Matt and many others. You get a grip. Sharma was blind to it and it was the original management of Matty and Patty that should have had the proper internal controls in place. They were all responsible. Give credit where credit is due. The tone at the top. Pollitt inherited a pile of crap AND the existing council did little to support internal controls implementation. All their hands are dirty.
Ted Shea was county administrator during the Scam. Matt is also the epitome of good ole boy which secures his position under Pollitt. Shea should have had to go at the same time Sharma went. That is when Pollitt should have restructured his office completely.
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