Wicomico County is facing a pretty bleak budget. While you may be tempted to blame the County Council or County Executive Rick Pollitt for the budget mess, save your ire for the person who really deserves it: Delegate Norman Conway. His actions in Annapolis during this year's legislative session are largely responsible for the deplorable county budget we face today.
As he reminds us every election year, Conway is chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the House of Delegates. That's the committee responsible for the spending bills in that chamber. Besides the speaker of the House, there is no delegate more powerful than Conway when it comes to spending.
Instead of using his power to help Wicomico County cope with the recession that has reduced local tax revenue, Conway made the local fiscal situation worse by supporting a stricter education maintenance of effort requirement for our county government. Thanks to the maintenance of effort mandate, the state is imposing a new $14 million burden on the county this year.
This $14 million mandate wipes out any chance for a new Bennett Middle School. It means income and local property taxes have to be raised to the maximum extent possible. It means the county pension plan cannot be properly funded. It means roads will go unpaved. It means our county will have to spend down its reserves to almost nothing.
Conway's supporters may say he was not the author of the maintenance of effort legislation signed into law. True enough, but he and Delegate Rudy Cane were the only Eastern Shore lawmakers who voted for it. Furthermore, Conway introduced a similar maintenance of effort bill this session. That legislation was passed by the House of Delegates and would have imposed the same kind of fiscal burden on the county.
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Conway is useless anymore. He has never been good for this county.I havent voted for him in yrs.Time for him to go.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, you should add the revenue cap and the council's inaction during last years budget to the list of things that are killing the county. It aint all Norm.
ReplyDeleteYou mean Conway is in charge of the committee that is in charge of spending that didn't know that 10% of the local share of Ocean Downs Casino was legislated to go to Baltimore City? I can hardly believe this.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, if you've been paying attention to the goings on in OC lately, you see that things don't get better anywhere else. Their star councilman who was behind the ousting of the Town Manager after 27 years is now violating ethics for phoning one of the 2 replacement candidates without telling anyone. Now, it's all over the local papers and these 2 applicants are likely getting questions from their current employers.
forget o.c., we're talking about conway. several people have come out to say since conway heads the appropriation committee, he's at fault. conway did screw up the works this time. sad part is most people don't realize it and he will not be held responsible.
ReplyDeleteChange is needed in the Entire System ----- Younger minds & those who truly represent the peoples interest!!
ReplyDeleteQuestion is-----Where do we find them?
Some were all the the Conway/Appropriations thing at election time like this made Conway the greatest. His actions for years are largely responsible for the conditions the state and county are facing.
ReplyDeleteAnd 1035 yes forget OC. They grew it now they can chew it. Never should have hired some outside source to find Dare's replacement anyway. I guess some of the council members didn't feel confident enough to make the decision themselves so dreamed up the idea to hire a company. OC needs to vote out those people and find more qualified ones then.
10:20am "It ain't all Norm." Can't prove it by me. "Norm" needs to go and I am going to help him go when election time comes around.
ReplyDeleteConway is the tail end of the dyed-in-the-wool democrat crown in Wicomico County that gave us such poor excuses as Conway and Joe Long in Annapolis and Phil Tilghman, Henry Parker, etc. on the County Council, along with Rick Pollitt who also will be gone after the next election.
ReplyDeleteConway always has a hidden agenda......like most of our leaders in Wicomico county.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:20 must be Pollitt. Always looking to get rid of the revenue cap and always bad mouthing the county council when he can't spend what he wants, and a longtime buddy of Conway.
ReplyDeleteNorman Conway was largely responsible for passage of SB-848 -MOE and Wicomico's 14.4 million dollar bill.
ReplyDeleteHB-1412- (which Norman Conway co-sponsored) - was the House's version of SB-848 - but in order to offset public sentiment and help keep the easternshore from knowing about Conway's clandesdine agenda - he did what other Delegates do - he instead got Nancy King to sponsor the Senate bill. Then he added Wicomico's amendment.
In my honest opinion Conway and Cane are both 'snakes in the grass' and soon - the taxpaying public will become aware of what they did to them.
I don't give a dam. They All should be blamed. Not one; Politt, Conway the county council, stepped up to the plate anf fought for the people of Wicomico County. Their greed and that dam dollar bill spoke louder then the voices of the citizens. They are All to blame.
ReplyDeleteTo 5:38 I sense your anger - and yes, Pollitt & his cohorts had his hand in the matter also.
ReplyDeleteBut soon - the 'fat lady will sing' (taxpayers) - as the tax billings will be opened by each and every resident.
Conway & Cane are definately the primary culprits in this caper, and Pollitt had his hand in it to. They'll have to reap the wrath of the voters now, as most of this information about them has finally gotton out.
I promise to vote AGAINST every single incumbent. Enough of this lets "tax 'em to the hilt", year after year.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI promise to vote AGAINST every single incumbent. Enough of this lets "tax 'em to the hilt", year after year.
April 30, 2012 6:55 AM"
I would not include Del McDermott in the list of incumbents to not vote for. He has been the only voice of reason in the otherwise Cluster of Incompetence we have representing us.
You would think Conway would look out for us and the BOE. He was getting full pay from the BOE and was getting paid as a delegate. They clamed he was not getting paid when in Annapolis, but those who made the checks knew he was. I guess he doesn't feel he needs them now he is retired from the BOE. Hey Wicomico, turn your back and get stabbed in it by Norman!
ReplyDeleteI believe Norman & Rudy are finished as politicians, otherwise, why would the want to be affiliated with legislation whereby they are biting the hands that feed them.
ReplyDelete