I have spent the last 7+ years attending hundreds of Council Meetings and Work Sessions. Last nights Work Session was one of the most informative meetings I can remember.
I share this with you because 99.9% of you do not or can not attend therse meetings, which are far more important than the actual Council Meetings, when it comes to information.
Because I have attended so many over the years, I can see things most of you do not see. Starting with the Fire Department, last night was simply mind boggling. Each year I have questioned the volume of money the Fire Department continuously requests during budget time. I'll not get into all the details right now because this Post would go on forever and it's going to be long enough as it is. So let's talk about last night.
Chief Hoppes came to the Council asking for a budget amendment on two items. One was for money needed to upgrade radios they currently have that are outdated. The second was for janitorial services. The first thing that went through my head was, you mean to tell me these men and women can't pick up and clean after themselves? I then asked one of the Council Members after the meeting, is this for EVERY Fire Station or just Station 16. I was told it was for just Station 16.
So the other Fire Departments don't get these services, interesting. However, they were asking for an additional $3,000.00+ for janitorial services and around $7,000.00+ for radios. OK, some might say, so what, that's only $10,000.00 or so, right, WRONG!
Here's the deal Folks. Unless you attend ALL of these meetings and get a feel for just what kind of games are being played, remember that $2,000,000.00 that was found and then hidden by the Mayor recently. Funny how the sharks all come out wanting this or that out of nowhere. Public Works Employees filled the Council Chambers immediately once they found out the Police Department was possibly going to get additional money, (BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDERPAID SOME 18%).
Well, here's what you don't know. At the end of every year the Fire Department tends to RETURN back to the General Fund HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars. That's right, this happens every single year. So what does this mean, it means that they constantly ask for way too much money. OK, so what's the purpose of this Post. Why in the HELL would the Fire Chief come to the Council and ask for $10,000.00 when everyone in the know already knows they'll have a good $100,000.00 to $200,000.00 at the end of the year?
Talk about greed! Oh, and if you think that's bad enough, wait until you hear this. You know that new Fire Boat they recently got. Remember they said there would be NO additional cost to the taxpayers above and beyond what they had requested, WRONG! Guess what, the INSURANCE alone will now cost the taxpayers an additional $32,000.00 to $50,000.00 a YEAR!
When I become your Mayor, first of all I'd do everything in my powers to make sure something like a Fire Boat was never in the picture. Secondly, being a businessman AND a normal every day Joe just like the rest of you I'd say, what's the Insurance going to cost us on this puppy? NOPE, the Administration overlooked that little expense because they have NO experience.
Now, are you asking yourself the next question. If the Fire Department has around $200,000.00 a year floating around at the end of each and every year, why in the hell has the Police Department suffered so much. Or you might want to ask yourself, why have the Citizens suffered so much, (crime wise) because the Fire Department keeps a cushion in the hundreds of thousands that could have been used to RETAIN Police Officers?
Then you want to ask yourself, how many other Department Heads have been doing the same???
All in all, a vote for me will clear ALL of this up because like you, we ALL thought every department was cutting back during a very difficult recession. We though, employees were furloughed because this Mayor delivered an extremely tight budget which is obviously not true.
My goal is to retain quality employees in the City. My goal is to cut every damn dollar we can in order to build morale while NOT raising taxes. The Fire Department coming to the Council asking for $10,000.00 was an absolute INSULT to not only the Council but to the Taxpayers as well.
I'm going to FIX this Ladies & Gentlemen but I'll need your support and I'll need your VOTE.
36 comments:
BRAVO!!!! These guys are just clowns!
So exactly what is a "budget amendment" ??
Does this mean that they are requesting MORE money?
OR, does it mean that they need such an amendment to allow them to spend already requested funds on something different than what was originally anticipated?
Please enlighten me on this ...
Just because the fire dept has extra money every year doesn't. Mean they can go spending money that wasn't budgeted. They have to ask permission first. Plain and simple. Now I will say the fire dept is out of their flipping minds to ask for janitorial services. That's the difference with a paid dept and a volunteer dept.volunteers have a drill for guys and girls to gather and clean or have paid paramedics with duty lists. But the city of Salisbury has a paid dept that is not that very busy.and tbh ...no fire dept in the nation would pay a cleaning lady when they have a career staff. As a fire fighter I see the the crazy things done and resources wasted in the city of Salisbury. Change is needed.
Just because the fire dept has extra money every year doesn't. Mean they can go spending money that wasn't budgeted. They have to ask permission first. Plain and simple. Now I will say the fire dept is out of their flipping minds to ask for janitorial services. That's the difference with a paid dept and a volunteer dept.volunteers have a drill for guys and girls to gather and clean or have paid paramedics with duty lists. But the city of Salisbury has a paid dept that is not that very busy.and tbh ...no fire dept in the nation would pay a cleaning lady when they have a career staff. As a fire fighter I see the the crazy things done and resources wasted in the city of Salisbury. Change is needed.
The city council definately does its homework and asks the questions that need to be asked to find out what is really going on, especially Campbell & Cohen.
Daddio, they are asking for MORE money above and beyond what has already been set aside.
Joe, Ask the FD about the other fireboats manufactured by the same company as Salisbury. See if they tell you the truth about singings, the bottoms falling off, $$$ to maintain the very expensive jet drives etc... if you find out what some already know you will be angry.
I have many years of experience with boats and their maintenance. If you think the insurance is expensive, just wait until you get the bills for haul-out and bottom cleaning, replacement parts and general upkeep. Boats live in a hostile environment, marine parts are usually brass, stainless steel, or other exotic and costly materials. Hold on to the checkbook, you are soon going to learn a very costly lesson.
First I've heard about you running for mayor Joe.You have my vote!!
Ireton promised to do right by the budget.
I would say he lied.
"Daddio, they are asking for MORE money above and beyond what has already been set aside..."
OK, that question has been answered. Now I would like to know what would the procedure be to allow them to spend the money already allocated to other items on the things they requested this week.
Would it be a simple matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul (changing the category of budgeted funds), or is something like that a more complicated matter?
The reason I ask is that IF they end up returning significant funds as it appears that they have done in the past, it may be a less complicated procedure to request additional funds than it would be to reallocate existing funds?
At the end of the fiscal year, IF any money is returned, does it matter what the designation was or not, so long as "x" number of dollars gets returned?
Is there going to be any net difference either way?
I don't know how much money Hoppes turns in at the end of the year, but it is a known fact that Hoppes spends/wastes thousands of dollars at the end of the the year so he doesn't have to turn it back in. He tells people Mayor Ireton told him to spend the money.
Have you filed to run yet???
So what's second? Joe I sure hope you win off of educated voters votes. If you win by people like this then you'll be another politician that won by ignorance ........like obama.but hey a win is a win.either way just make sure you make the changes in a good way when you win.don't sink us like obamas change.....feel free to sink that fire boat though.
You all have been warned about Hoppes. He is neither qualified nor worthy of being the city fire chief. Look at that picture he is not even healthy enough to be a firefighter.
Annon 11:06 AM, What cave do you live in. Maybe you should volunteer to clean Station 16!
He looks so intelligent and so important. Did you ask him where he got that nice iPad? Oh that's right the city tax payers bought it for him.
The fire department should use the extra money and actually hire people that know how to put out fires.
Please keep this st the top.
Joe stay on this. It proves how incompetent Iretons choice of department head is.
Is THAT the Fire Chief? Doesn't his fat ass have to pass a physical or something? God help anyone who needs HIS assistance...I know someone who just took that firefighter test at the Civic Center. Most of them failed the physical. It doesn't look like this guy could do more than 1 sit-up and NO push-ups, much less run across the room without stopping for a donut (or four or five of them).. LEAD by example. It works out so well....
Joe, when you become Mayor, I am going to ask you to consider me as you next fire chief. I am a business oriented individual, requiring accountability at every level of the fire department, and set a positive example.
I can't remember a time when the FIre Department wasn't screwing up and wasting Taxpayer money. From the shady deal with the building of the New Firehouse that obviously enriched a few Tighman buddies to the boondoggle fireboat, it is patently obvious that a corrupt group of Salisbury good ole boys are deeply entrenched in the Fire Department and are enriching themselves on the Taxpayer dollars. Immoral bast##rds
Yes he is fat and lazy and always has been. He has always expended more energy looking for ways to get out of work. He is a poor example of a firefighter or a leader. Get rid of that embarrassment.
It would be great to see numbers on these folks. Like total cost VS benefits. Everyone has opinions but the numbers will help make reasonable decisions. IE, how much property has the fireboat saved compared to it's total cost?
Hoppes will tell you anything---I know him---hasn't changed either!
Laaaaaaaaazy----Laaaazy-----Laaazy, a poor excuse to hold the Title!
Sign your name
Hoppes is constantly running Jim Ireton, Debbie Campbell, Terry Cohen and Tim Spies into the ground. He has no respect for his bosses. He should be rempved from his position immediately.
You mean they can't change the soap in the dispenser, clean toilets, mop, and shake out mats? why don't they just get the volunteers to do it.
Daddio, the Council Members asked Hoppes about the habitual return of funds over the past 7 years back to surplus. They asked why, if they constantly have additional funds at the end of the year do they have to ask for more. So to answer your question, from what I heard last night, I'd say they could easily use the $200,000.00 a year they regularly return to pay for these items.
More importantly, there's the question as to why they need additional funds for janitorial services.
Hoppes cannot even put on his running gear and go into a fire. He is way to fat and his heart is not healthy I was told.
Salisbury need a "Real Fire Chief"!
So Joe, please take care of this when you become mayor. Thank You
Please move this to the top. We can't wait for Joe to be mayor to get a real fire chief.
What is the status of the search for a new fire chief? Didn't they deny Hoppes the position? Are they interviewing for a new Chief? Or are they just letting him have the position and trying to keep it quiet?
And no there is not any current physical requirement for the FD once you pass the initial test. The volunteers don't even have to pass an initial physical test to get in. How is that right?
Please move this back to the top. I am very interested in hearing more discussion on this.
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