Remember last Monday night when Jim Ireton REFUSED to answer Debbie Campbell's question on how much money was left over in surplus? Well, tonight, even Shanie Shields stated that IF the Mayor had given up the numbers, NONE of the arguing and debate had to take place.OK, are you sitting. No, seriously, I mean it. THERE IS MORE THAN $2,000,000.00 RETURNED TO SURPLUS!
This is a Mayor who wanted a tax increase! This is a Mayor who absolutely 100% KNEW there was this kind of money in surplus and refused to tell the Council last Monday night.
His childish behavior and actions were completely out of line! The money was there. The money has always been there. Public safety was never an important topic for this Mayor and obviously never will be.
While the Daily Times attacked the City Council, they, (once again) had it completely wrong. I have always supported the Salisbury Police Department and have been stating from the day I announced my intention to run for Mayor that our funding will go to the Salisbury Police Department.
The City Council will bring a $650,000.00 increase over the next year to increase the salaries Gary Comegys and Louise Smith reneged on a few years ago. These men and women will finally get what they deserve. There was additional funding available to also increase the dispatchers salaries as well.
The original proposal/request by Chief Duncan was $400,000.00. Once the Council learned what kind of surplus they had they immediately chose to do what was right and increased it to $650,000.00, prorated down for the remainder of the year.
Let's hope morale turns around immediately. It's a great day for Salisbury. Councilwoman Laura Mitchell and Mayor Jim Ireton were not present tonight. Instead they are at the Democrat National Convention with Obama.
53 comments:
Far from leadership Jimmy.
$400,000 to $650,000? Is this a one time expense or is this going to cost the tax payers $650,000 per year from now on?
Yay, good for the cops in Salisbury. I'm sure they need it and deserve it and EARNED it.
Jimbo, just stay down south with obammy.
WHy is Ireton the one privy to the numbers but not the council? That fiscal information of the city in hard numbers should be available to any city taxpayer IMO. WTF is Ireton the one who knows????
That 2 Million dollars found in surplus. We guess what, that money belongs to all the city employees who gave up their salaries for 2 years straight. Give that money back to all the city employees and then work on a plan to increase pay.
That 2 Million dollars found in surplus. We guess what, that money belongs to all the city employees who gave up their salaries for 2 years straight.
Excuse me? I believe it belongs to city TAXPAYERS not it's employee's.
And just who gave up their salaries and worked for free?
11:40 PM
Added to city budget, which currently has 2 million in surplus. We should not even notice unless something happens to not enable the city to have any more surpluses.
I agree with 12:09, why doesn't the council all ready know the numbers?
Wish they would somehow get to stay in Florida! Did significant others accompany them? (I had to ask. It is taxpayer money being spent.)
12:20:
Agreed!
Guess what, 12:20 a.m., you are probably right, but if your fearless leader Ireton and your puppet department heads aren't giving the council a realistic picture of the true costs of the department, be a rocket scientist and figure out who to blame.
Just being saved for the good ole boys in case a property has to be bought.
I do agree with what everyone is saying, but I mainly agree the money was stolen from the city employees. The heartless Mayor Ireton forced employees to take furloughs which cost them thousands of dollars and serious hardships. This money needs to go back to the employees. The Police department and the fire department aren't the only departments with needs. An election is coming up soon and giving money to the PD and not other departments will create a serious blow to Ireton's and Campbell's campaigns.
I guess that the rest of the city employees will go back to furloughs in order to continue to fund the police department. Yes, lets hope morale turns around somewhere by throwing money at the crime situation.
cant wait untilhe returns and see him get pissed off toward his staff.
Mmmmm, transparent eh!
This is good news.
Someone please explain to me how the surplus belongs to the city employee's. I just don't get it.
Raises across the city. All departments.
so who is paying for the trip to NC for the liberial idiot convention?
Joe, your pressure on the mayor is paying off. The way I see it, you don't even have to run. You control what the City is doing with this blog.
Promised raises and furloughs when there has been money returned every year
Joe:
Without a compprehensive spending affordability study for the next 3-5 years, this could be a stupid move. The City has deferred much repair and replacement for the past two mayor terms, and once salaries are set in government, especially for police and fire personnel, it is difficult to lower them.
Also there has been less than proper funding of many programs.
So, best ask why there is a surplus and how it should be handled across the board before doling much of it out to the first group to put a hand into the jar.
Any comprehensive study should consider if some or all of the surplus should be returned to the taxpayers, too.
I guess that the rest of the city employees will go back to furloughs in order to continue to fund the police department. Yes, lets hope morale turns around somewhere by throwing money at the crime situation.
September 5, 2012 6:44 AM
Wow, you are so negative. You sound like a ff. Are you one?
Throwing money at the crime situation? You would rather be robbed and killed?
Lets put that money into the fund that is needed to make the eewer plant work -- to pay for that we need many millions more than the city will get from that lawsuit. Face it, there is no real surplus money in Salisbury, folks, and the taxes and water bills will be going up, not down.
Why doesn't Ireton value every employee? Why does Teresa Gardner still have a job? She can still be seen yelling and acting like a total psycho at the GOB at least weekly.
As a victim of crime more than once, IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!
All the other employees are important, but give this council time. Can you imagine how things might be if they didn't have to BEG for what WE THE PEOPLE should already know? After all, who got the employees at least a little bonus this year?
But I really feel the police need support. I had a case handled by an experienced officer and I had one handled by a youngster.
Guess who did better?
And why not spend some of the money to fix the roads on Mill St. It is horrific the condition the roads are and a dangerous intersection. Years of neglect
8:18 AM
That's so no one will speed on that road. One long speed bump.
Because the employees were robbed by Iretons forced furloughs. Ironically Ireton never had to take a furlough at the BOE.
City employees, calm down. You don't get out on the streets on a daily basis like law enforcement. I know your jobs are very important also to make the city run, however, you don't have to ride or walk or bike down some of these streets that our officers do and then deal with the riff raff living there and getting spit on or hit or cussed at or whatever trying to do your job. They deserve what they get and more too and no I am not an officer, I only live in the city and do appricate everything they do especially when I am safe in my home and they are out there dealing with whatever some of these imbiciles do next.
I don't think that police officers deserve an across the board raise. I think there are a small portion of officers who truly do a good job and deserve it.But honestly, most of them are people who were bullied in high school and are looking for a chance to give it back. I have never been convicted or even charged with a crime but the 5 or 6 times i have had contact with the SPD they have just been horrible. I say review each officers performance over the past year or 2 and then those are the only ones who get raises. Also, how much goes toward raises and how much goes towards hiring new officers?
I am glad to see they will raise dispatchers pay scale, you truly have to love that job to do what they do and get paid what they get paid (Around 25K year if I remember correctly), dispatchers on on the same shifts as the rest of the officers, switching between night and day, 12 hour shifts and having to keep track of officers and field incoming calls at the same time, ohh and if you get a second you don't get a breather, you have to work on warrants and other misc time/brain consuming items.
I looked at that job and honestly I would not do it for anything under 40K a year, it takes a special type of person just to be able to DO that job, let alone get paid peanuts to do it.
The dispatcher may not be putting their life on the line everyday, but they are putting their body through a lot of stress and most get burned out very quickly.
I only know this because I am one of the few city residents to take the Citizens Police Academy so I could see first hand what these guys do on a daily basis. I HIGHLY recommend it*. When you see what they have to go through you will understand why the pay increases are needed.
Now to get them more money for their equipment and cars.
*I am not a police fanboy, but I actually own my house in the city (surrounded by renters) and was curious to see how I could help around my area, the contacts you make at SPD in my mind is #1 reason why more should enroll in the next Citizen Police Academy.
I hope some of this money is put towards more programs like it.
Not a peep from the DT on council's work session yesterday.
Awesome !!!!!!!!!!! Matt thanks for looking out. These guys deserve a raise. Barbra awesome job. Mike Lewis it is time you took care of your people. All of them not just the command staff. Where is all the stuff you promised when you ran for Sheriff?? Time to be a man and keep yopur word.
The police had furloughs also. They did their part of doing without.
In the end that money is taxpayer money. I agree that our police department has some catching up to do because of the games the mayor plays with actual public safety. I'm happy this matter is settled unless Ireton vetos the budget modification.
The taxpayers have the right to know the city's financial status at any given time. If our representitives are denied that information because of the mayor, then the taxpayers are denied our checks and balances because of the mayor's political game of footsy.
We should send Jimmy and Laura away for every council meeting. Look at what was accomplished while they were gone!
Properly funding public safety is a good investment in our city. Thank you. Signed, a resident and taxpayer.
Not last year
Agreed.
It is taxpayer money. It should be used wisely. I am glad that what has been lacking in the police department under 2 mayors has finally been addressed.
Thank you Debbie Campbell! She always asks the tough questions, and comes out smelling like the rose that she truely is, keep up the good work Lady Campbell.
I don't ever see the public getting safer. The more government spends on a problem, the worse that problem becomes.
Anonymous said...
The police had furloughs also. They did their part of doing without.
September 5, 2012 10:04 AM
No need to argue about that one. The point is the PD as well as all city employees should be paid back for their furloughs. The timing is not right for anyone to get raises. Especially Lore Chambers with her generic doctoral degree.
The lack of funding public safety is unexcusable, especially when we have a surplus. The funding of the salisbury police department has been a problem since Tighlman, and Ireton has done nothing to improve public safety. Ireton's grade on this process is an E- Ireton = Failure.
Glad to hear that Shanie had some intelligent input to this ongoing problem. Even she can see that Ireton is just a trouble maker that will do anything to try and make himself look better. Public safety or not!
This only magnifies the issue regarding the public safety power point, that the council was not willing to fund public safety in regard to the FEMA grant. Not, Ireton decided against funding public safety with prolonging wage parity in regard to the police department, when in reality the city had the money.
This was a politically staged side show. The victims, city employees used as pawns, and city tax payers.
Once again, an intelligent council majority one Up'd Ireton!
"We should send Jimmy and Laura away for every council meeting. Look at what was accomplished while they were gone!"
Amen!
8:43 so you are stating that city workers NEVER address sewer stoppages or plow snow or write code violations in high crime areas? You are uninformed.
I think that the council, well the majority anyway, will do right by the city employees once they know for real what is going on with the city finances.
Remember they are the ones that supported giving all city employees a bonus after they found some hidden money.
Only one opposing that was Laura Mitchell. And Ireton of course.
Hmmmmmm.
This is absurd!
When we find extra money, which is next to never, we save it. Comes in handy for snow plows, hurricane cleanup, floods, etc...
I think there is something terribly wrong when the council has little idea what the amount expected to be returned to surplus is during the year. And to top it off, they act like heroes when they do get "a number" several months after the year has ended!!! Sorry folks this should be like clockwork and not a roller-coaster.
Infrastructure could sure use some upgrading. It's sad when a rainy day shuts down Salisbury.
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