Every one of you should know, County Executive Rick Pollitt is asking the Council to commit to this project BEFORE his new Budget comes out next Spring.
OK, so what does this mean? It means, the Council has NO IDEA what Rick Pollitt will deliver. HOW can Pollitt ask for such a thing when we already know the County can't pay for snow removal and the list goes on and on. Here's a guy who wanted to give $123,000.00 to County Employees as a Christmas Bonus, yet the County is receiving less and less on property taxes, less from Highway User Funds, the list goes on and on.
The 7 CENT (correction) tax increase is the MAXIMUM allowed by law and will only raise around $5,000,000.00, according to my calculations. You're welcome to challenge me on that but I'm confident I'm pretty close. THEN WHAT? Will there be another 7 CENT (correction) increase in the following Budget? I'm 96% sure, (LOL) they will.
Did YOU get a 7 CENT (correction) increase on your salary? Do you expect a 7 CENT (correction) increase next year? When is the last time a County Employee saw a 7 CENT (correction) pay increase, might be the better question.
Open your eyes Folks. Rick Pollitt is out of line pressuring the County Council to commit to money we ALL know isn't there.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
14 comments:
But he will win, he will get his way or he will trick us into it...
Just like when they paid 2 million for a few parking spaces, for the new parking at the civic center... yet the WHOLE DAMN PROPERTY WAS VALUED OR COULD HAVE BEEN BOUGHT FOR 1 MILLION...
This is more than a kid addicted to sugar... Rick Pollitt actually has a problem... The whole govt has a problem...
For those whom have their heads in their asses or into the dirt hole like an Ostrich, This is just the beginning as Joe says... They do not want to balance the budget and the fastest way to get money for the short comings is taxes... They want to keep spending money like its a water fall... The thing is, when someone is taxed, they won't spend money, IE the reason for the economy... Now because no one will spend money they have to make that up... how? they add taxes and fees... Well I don;t know about you but if i were taxed more and more each year i wouldn't spend a dime for the economy... Then what will happen? well they will raise fees and taxes yet again to cover the short comings... it is just a circle that won't end...
Oh, and to add, can I get a plate of taxes and a side of martial law? cuz that's where were headed...
I'm sure the council can put on their big boy pants and say no if they want to. They've done it plenty of times before. It's his job to pressure them and it's their job to say yes or no. Stop with all these hystrionics!
My apologies, it's a 7 CENT increase, not a 7% increase.
anon 10:28, not sure where you heard the entire property (old mall) could be bought for $1M? I can tell you that is false. Also, I know it is not a market for frivolous purchases but the civic center brings many people into town, who spend money locally, which gets taxed, etc. Also, for years the guests of the civic center have been parking there unlawfully. I think it was a good purchase..
On the the meat of the article, if it were City Council, you can bet your ass nothing would get passed. And i do mean nothing. They cant agree to accept donations... but because it is the county council, who knows..
Even with the 7 CENT correction, the point being is, County Employees haven't even seen a 7 CENT increase in the past 4 plus years. In fact, they've gone into the RED with furloughs and no cost of living increases.
Joe, Bob and John...hold their feet to the fire..no new school.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH...
I have a home that is 25 years old. Instead of purchasing a new home we replaced the roof, new schrubs a decorative fence and we have a new home.
We can to the same with the bennett school.
You guys are besinessmen and you Matt also. Think how we can make things better without spend, spend when we cant afford it. We saved money and paid cash for our upgrade.
If our taqxes go up and the fees raised it will mean we purchase less and maybe even loose our home.
There is only so much money and I dont want to spend it on waste.
How about those communities who have alot less whose ideas of teaching children are a top priority not a pretty building. Our children dont even measure up to other states or even other countries. We need to get back to teaching the students instead of spend on "NICE".
We need to teach all the students not just the top 15%.
My husband and I looked up my Mother-in-law's house last night to see what the "value" was.
The value on her home DROPPED $2,500 LAST MONTH!
A house on her street sold this past week and the comps that were used were not even around her neighborhood. That house sold for $157,000. They used properties on Cherry Way and Pine Way as comps!
There's a whole bunch of people getting ripped off. My MIL's house is her estate and if this keeps up, it will be worthless. She lives in a nice development off Parker Road. It's not like she's in the slums.
So, values are plummeting so the next thing to plummet in the county is real estate taxes. Guess what happens then? The real estate taxes go UP, AGAIN!
Yet at the same time, Pollitt is ust throwing money out the window and expecting the tax payers to keep paying MORE, MORE, MORE!
If we could move my MIL into Delaware, we would, but as you can see, selling her house is NOT an option!
I am willing - and so are many more- to pay an increase in taxes if that means a new school and a county that will bring people here. I’m willing to pay more so ALL the schools can get what they need. It sends such a poor message to kids and our residents when we do not want to support the school system. Yes, we are in tough economic times, but saying no to everything certainly is not the answer. We need to think big picture and stop being so close minded about things.
11:41
Where did you get the idea the top 15% of students are the priority? At risk students are the entire focus. Tens of millions of dollars for them; if anyone proposes spending $5 on anything for the top learners, there is a lecture about "we have to serve ALL of the students," but there's no mention of ALL when huge amounts are spent on those with learning or behavior issues.
If the public knew the price tag for personnel and services for the bottom 10%, there would be an uprising.
If Bennett Middle housed animals, the state would close it down. THAT'S how bad conditions are there. But Joe, your grandkid doesn't go there, so who cares, right?
Stevie Prettyman certainly doesn't care about students from her county council district - she won't even respond to repeated e-mails about BMS, and since she took off her kneepads and married her adulterous boss two decades ago, she's never had to worry about about the little people.
Joe Holloway admitted he won't be a leader on this - "I understand the need, but I don't understand the 'how',", he's quoted as saying. You're the President of the County Council! It's YOUR JOB to figure out a solution! That's why you were elected!!!
So kids continue to suffer in unsafe conditions. When the tempos get back to 90 outside, the nurse's office will be overflowing with kids on the verge of passing out in their classrooms.
But God Forbid we raise one more cent of revenue to do anything about it. Joe has to keep his taxes low!!!!!
5:38, thank you for a voice of reason. You expressed the same thoughts that I did on another BMS story Joe ran. Wicomico County is supposed to be the hub of the Eastern Shore, the major county. We should have exemplary schools as well as roads, public safety, and all the other things that attract businesses and people here. If I were thinking about moving to Wicomico and took a tour of BMS, I'd quickly change my mind. The revenue cap was probably the worst thing we could have done--certainly the worst decision I've seen in my 61 years in this county. And, no, I'm not a "wet pants liberal"; I'm a very active Republican who doesn't like to skimp on things like schools! (Yes, I'm a retired teacher, so I guess I have a slanted view).
10:58 must be a reporter for the Daily Times. The city council agrees on plenty of things, but I'm glad three of them had the guts to say NO to that stupid waste of money called the Bricks. You can make a lot of nice affordable housing for the money they were going to do that with. Before you turn on me, I lived in affordable housing as a young mother. My ex wouldn't cope with the responsibility of a family. But I would rather have lived in my car with my children than be put in that spot. I was lucky and had a nice place and I swore I'd pay it back to society somehow. I did. I took my hand up, worked my butt off, did better and pay a nice chunk of taxes now. I also give a lot to charities that spend money to give a hand up. The best feeling in the world is pulling yourself up by hard work.
Kill the tax Revenue cap and put it a tax cap that we thought we were voting for and that will help fix the problem.
6:04pm Typical comment when you attack people and not the issue. You sound like a frustrated employee of the BOE.
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