At last night's Public Input Session - County Executive Rick Pollitt, Administrator Wayne Stausburg, and County Finance Director Andy Mackel presented several budget scenarios for the upcoming 2013 fiscal budget. Having previously attended numerous of these sessions over the course of the past few years I was surprised to see that Delegate Norman Conway and an aid to Senator Milkulski decided to attend as I have not seen them appear before this event.I say that there were basically several budget scenarios presented - (117 million verses 114.7 million) - that is because when the Maryland General Assembly ended this past tuesday night - there were many major financial matters that were left in limbo. Unofficial reports are that Maryland is suppose to call another Special Session to try and work out the shift in school teacher pensions from the State level to the County, and, to resolve the rebasing questions regarding each localities maintenance of effort. Some authorities have called the rebasing formulas - black mail - and the author of this article also concurs.
Bottom line - Wicomico residents can expect to get a .07 cent increase in the Real Property Tax rate regardless of which budget is implemented. The rate is the maximum allowed by Wicomico's County's charter 2% property tax limitation. The Board of Education budget is to be increased by 7 million dollars - (not an easy endeavor - emphasis added by author). The rainy day fund and carry forward balances from prior years budget will be used to help balance the current fiscal budget.
Basically, Wicomico county is in a 'financial pickle' as sales tax collections are down, property evaluations have diminished, and the unemployment continues to sag at a pathedic 9.7% - ranked 20 out 24 jurisdictions - ( US Labor statistics -http://www.bls.gov/ro3/mdlaus.htm).
As if the above mix isn't enough to contend with - Annapolis legislators continue to pass off more and more unfunded mandates onto the Counties - (i.e. school teachers pension bailout, Assessments & Taxation expenses, Maryland States Attorney's office may have to provide newly required lawyers during commissioners hearings, and, slashing of the State Highway Maintenance budgets).
As Bill Duvall used to say - 'All is not well in the Transchoptankia Republic of Wicomico'
New Posts to fall below.
Looks like the "Tax & Spenders" are seeing the fruits of their labors. While creating a fat bureaucracy and eliminating basic services they have sent people to shop elsewhere to avoid taxes that show now return; caused businesses to flee to avoid taxes and burdensome regulations; watched families then follow, leaving a housing market more depressed than average. The "Tax & Spenders" can then no longer support their wasteful ways without becoming even more oppressive than the policies that created the predicament.
ReplyDeleteWith Conway & Milkulski in attendance (in support of "Tax & Spend" we can see just how hopeless their efforts have become.
"Annapolis legislators continue to pass off more and more unfunded mandates onto the Counties"
ReplyDeleteIsn't this simply the State spending County Revenues? It's not as if these cost were unfunded. It's that the State spent the money that was collected to pay them.
It is Conway who has caused all of this with the help of Pollitt. I saw both last night and just wondered if they realize these are the last years they will be serving the people of our county. They are both toast. Say, goodnight!!
ReplyDeleteThis county is not at all, people and/or business friendly. So many businesses have gone under and people keep moving to other counties or out of state altogether but those of us who own homes in this county and cannot sell are stuck with the nonsense Rick, Mikulski, Conway and the likes, continually put upon us. I've got a little bit of blood, you want that too????
ReplyDeleteWell looks like obama bin laden is making us poor so either we:
ReplyDeleteA: Revolt and he can then declare martial law or
B: Make us so broke, that we will have either:
1: civil UN-rest or
2: so damn broke he then to can call in martial law...
Now for those who can't see this, ask yourself this: Since all this began, what has happened and to whom did it happen to... Also keep in mind that out of all these measures they keep passing, the money never stops being spent, and the budget never gets balanced and taxes always rise...
Just know, that while these ass wholes say they are cutting the budget, they are not, they are increasing taxes and frees and the burden to others to make it look as if it were balanced... you can balance any budgets without taxes, you just have to fire some people out of the govt to make it smaller, but hey that won't happen...
Also keep this in mind, back in the 1800's they had a law or prevision that said (not exact quote){That if the economy got so bad that states are on the verge of destruction or sustainability then that state can succeed from the union or aka govt and or other states and the Governor can come in and declare martial law and set up their own economy and money policy to keep the state alive... Now with that, I say we have one option:
1: we succeed from the govt to save MD or else MD is gone...
BUT keep in mind more than likely Obama is using this to declare martial law...
For the nay-sayers; Tell me what good has come from any laws or shit out of the white house or local govt in the past 8 years that's actually helped us? out of those 8 years why are more Americans without jobs or money than previously?
*******Do you own research*******
I was also in attendence at last nights town hall meeting and my eyebrows raised when I heard the figure of 35 billion dollars in underfunded schoolteachers pension liability.
ReplyDeleteThis raises a bigger question - where did all of that money evaporate to? How can a State lose 35 billion dollars and then simply pass-on the deficiency to the counties? This is really a serious matter and certainly warrants an thorough investigation.
Sounds like its the perfect time to build a new middle school.
ReplyDeleteI live in Wicomico County and from my perspective the only way I can feed my cats is for the dogs to throw-up. I'm serious - there aren't any jobs to be found around here. What few businesses there are remaining - they are all holding on by a shoe string.
ReplyDeleteEmergency legislation - Forget the maintenance of effort emergency legislation - we need JOBS AND WE NEED THEM NOW!
10:41 am,
ReplyDeleteYour comment is down right crazy.
10:54 am,
It's called, embezzlement by both county and state government.
Well now - here we are again a year latter - and the local economy has gotton worse.
ReplyDeleteAll indicators show that the local economy has continued to deteriorate so as to cause a regional calamity.
So I ask all of SBY readers - are you better off today than you were under the former President? If the answer is no - then it is a no brainer as to who you should vote for. Obviously - Obamaeconomics did not work.
Yep - just what I thought, the economy is worse this year than last. Funny, I have been recently thinking about how bad things were this year verses last year. Gasoline is outrageous. Food prices are going through the roof. And just yesterday morning I bought 25' of copper wire for an air conditioning receptacle and they charged me $25.00 at Lowes.
ReplyDeleteget the dems out asap. they are killing us. do you get this yet?? get you heads out of the sand and work to get them out. they only know tax and spend; nothing more. they have NO clue how the economy and budgets and capitalism works. tax, spend and regulate. this is their way.
ReplyDelete10:54 - "This raises a bigger question - where did all of that money evaporate to? How can a State lose 35 billion dollars and then simply pass-on the deficiency to the counties?"
ReplyDeleteIt was never fully funded in the first place. It has always been a mostly Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) plan and the Teachers Union statewide is out of control but savvy enough to get what they want.
If we are in such crisis in this county, why do we continue to spend money on things we don't need? This includes hiring new personnel, purchasing fleets of unnecessary vehicles and extravagant trips abroad. Get it together Wicomico County.
ReplyDeleteno county employee has travelled abroad and the county has not purchased any vehicles. Get your facts straight please
ReplyDeleteWatch what happens when Pollitt is not in office any longer. The rainy day fund will be depleted, there will not be any carry forward balance, and the county finances will be left in shambles.
ReplyDeleteAnd through it all the BOE will be screaming for mo money.
It looks as though we are on a crash course to disaster in this county.
To 1:48 - I beg your pardon - I was told by Frederickson himself that he went to China on a State sponsored expenditionary trip.
ReplyDeleteFrom the looks at the BOE budget, I can easily see that he did not learn one thing from the chinese connection.
BOE is a state entity not county...so beg your own pardon
ReplyDeletesee all you folks voted for the Slickster.you see what he did to the town of Fruitland damn near caused them to go belly up.no but you fine folks want change now see what you got now.all of wicomico co. is about bankrupt.we need just 1 county administraitor to make the decisions.do away with the county council & Pollitt and his whole staff,what a joke they all are.we could save alot of $$$$$$$$$$$$.
ReplyDelete3:41
ReplyDeleteBOE may be a state agency, but the county taxpayers are having to fund it!
Time to cut budget. People of this county can not afford the frivolous spending.
ReplyDelete3:41 no doubt But not by choice
ReplyDeleteThis county was in trouble long before Pollitt showed up. The council, Matt Craemer,Ted Shea, and lets not forget Karl Peterson. Isnt he living in a monster house in Fla. now. Hmmmmmmmm. Only thing missing is a mask. They robbed us blind right under our noses. The Land Fill was just one example of how the council and above named company had NO idea what was going on.
ReplyDeleteThe sad fact is for years they have fed us bull shit pie and we ate it. Million missing and no one knows where it went. What happend to the forensic audit. I can tell you they knew heads would roll on all sides of the court if it ever made it public and it was buried. I think the whole lot is corrupt.
If Holloway, Prettyman and Barkovich dont start acting like Republicans they need to go. This bull of just sandbagging everything that comes out of the Execs. office is total bull shit and you are costing tax payers. There was over one million in revenue lost with the delay of the speed cameras. I dont care what you view on the cameras is the bottom line is that Salisbury city implemented them in a month. It took you boobs two years. Need i say more.
I saw a tee shirt that said I am not stupid just rural. In your cases it should read I am not rural I am just stupid.
To 10:14 Posting
ReplyDeleteIn light of the installation of speed cameras - the Sheriffs office needs to be cut appropriately. Wife 'skynet' now being installed in and around Salisbury, Mardela - it only makes sense to trim the Sheriff's Department drastically.
As for Conway and Caine - I believe the handwriting is on the wall - it is high time for them to be put to pasture. I am quite sure the taxpayers in Wicomico see the same.
1:37 -
ReplyDeleteWhat about Pollitt and his new puppet master, Strausburg?