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Monday, December 05, 2011

The Other Grapevine



Since the Daily Times has become so politically incorrect many readers have asked me to publish some of the Grapevine questions/statements in order to allow comments from BOTH sides. You see, the problem here is the fact that the Daily Times has so conveniently gone to Facebook for comments. Sine then, only their special interest people have been commenting. We plan to change that. Considering we have a larger on line audience, let's give these Grapevine Comments some real LIFE.

That being said, here's today's samples of what we feel will be interesting to YOU.

City tax differential

The Salisbury City Council is again requesting a tax differential from the county. The solution to this is simple: Salisbury needs to live up to its promise and begin to consolidate services such as police, wastewater and human resources. Then no differential would be necessary.

Comments:

Nice idea, consolidating city and county services, however, the county won't touch the idea until the wastewater treatment debacle is resolved. An $83 million dollar plant that doesn't work and is in need of at least $65 million in changes to make it work is not something that the county, or its taxpayers, will touch with a ten foot pole. And by the way, the Mayor, not the Council, initiated the request to the county, but the Council signed off on it.

City attorney

Who's on the City Council trying to make a power grab? Put it on a ballot to get an attorney. If they want an attorney, they should pay for it out of their own pockets.

Comments:

That would be Laura Mitchell. And, just so we're clear on this point, by Charter before the amendment, the Council was supposed to have free access to the city attorney. The Mayor wouldn't allow it, and heavily filtered all the information the attorney gave to the Council. The charter change took care of that problem. Laura Mitchell understands this, but is, like Mike Dunn, Louise Smith, Shanie Shields, Lynn Cathcart and others, an unapologetic tool of Big Money in Salisbury, and will create conflict where none should exist just to get Council off track and feather her own political nest and fill the pockets of her political buddies.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great idea, Joe!
Haven't been on THAT site, since they pulled the Facebook stunt.
Hopefully, some of the old commenters will start posting here.
Always entertaining.

Anonymous said...

Love it. Keep it up!

Anonymous said...

"If they want an attorney, they should pay for it out of their own pockets."

Duh!

The City Charter calls for an attorney for the council, the same one the mayor uses. He's known as "The City Attorney".

You may now go back under your rock.

Anonymous said...

The Tax Diff isn't just a Salisbury v County thing. Fruitland and Delmar also helped fund the study that proves the County charges the residents of these three towns for services the County refuses to provide.

Anonymous said...

Joe, hear about Somerset County putting a new warden on without advertising? They picked a guy who isn't qualified but friends of several of the commissioners, Louis Hickman, may want to check it out, there is something to this story.

Anonymous said...

Why would the mayor and city attorney want to hide information from our elected city council?

A legislative body without legal advice is like a car without an engine. It can only roll downhill.

Anonymous said...

If a tax differential is ever issued it should go back to the people as a reduction on their tax bill from the City. The Council has a choice to make , either go back to the people OR comes to the City directly. No need to give the City any more of our money sice its coming from us as it is. The current proposed request has payment giong to the City .