It's one experience to sit as the Council President and take administration action on resolutions introduced by Council Administrator Creamer and quite another experience to sit in that same chair and direct action for others to take for the good of all the citizens of the County. What I am asking is that you take direct action in two different areas for the good of everyone in Wicomico County. The first area involves the financial security of our county. I ask that you have a forensic audit of the BOE conducted to find out exactly what has gone wrong financially, who was responsible and see if there was any misconduct that could impact on the county.
Second, I understand that one of our council personnel is upset and wants to bring up the issue of pay raises again. As a leader I am sure you already recognize that this is now a past issue and we can't continually bring issues up again and again just because someone gets upset. Also as a leader and businessman you know that there is no way the county should be voting on any issues that involve spending revenues when we have had solid reports that show we have a severely declining revenue source. This is simply bad business. I'm sure our bond rating agencies would have a very bad impression of the way we do business here in Wicomico County considering what has just transpired. Any increase in expenditures should definitely be tabled until after all budget hearings are over with and we know exactly where we stand. Being Council President and acting as a leader for the county can be two totally different positions. I hope you choose the right one.
John Palmer, Delmar, Md.
33 comments:
To suggest important matters should not be voted upon is absurd.
I believe all of the issues addressed in this letter should be voted upon.
Although these issues are apparently not important to the writer of the letter, they remain very important to many others.
Mr. Palmer has a valid point. I just wonder how the bond rating agencies would perceive what I consider to be a blatant disregard for a balance sheet. It is a valid argument.
I guess he is referring to Mrs. Prettyman suggestion to bringing this subject matter back up again. However, this is not the first time that Mrs. Prettyman has missed and teleconferenced in on a county council meeting. My suggestion to her is to decide where she wants to live in Wicomico Co. and/or Florida. Whether she realizes it or not, it is an inconvenience for the voters to have her proffer in from afar. Surely she must realize that to telephone in is outright rude in my opinion. I'll leave it at that.
Leadership often requires unpopular decisions
That's how modern day business is done these days. It's called technology and most forward looking organizations recognize conference calls and teleconference participation as completely acceptable It enables everyone in an organization to participate regardless of where they happen to physically be on any. Given day.
GONNA GET SCREWED AGAIN BY PETTYMAN AND RICKY BOY.
10:24 said-"My suggestion to her is to decide where she wants to live in Wicomico Co. and/or Florida. Whether she realizes it or not, it is an inconvenience for the voters to have her proffer in from afar. Surely she must realize that to telephone in is outright rude in my opinion. I'll leave it at that"
Exactly. She's just not a professional. There are options including chartering an air plane to fly her back to meetings if she truly cared about Wicomico county. The problem lies with these people who want these elected positions only so they can show off but don't do the job. A true professional would be at all the meetings unless they were dead, in the hospital or jail. There is just no gray area with this.
10:42, With all due respect, Mrs. Prettyman had surgery and could NOT attend several meetings.
I have seen, (again, with all due respect) Shanie Shields and Laura Mitchell miss many meetings because of surgeries.
While I do NOT agree with Mrs. Prettyman's choice to bring this matter back to the table, I completely understand her absence.
I am a friend of Mrs. Prettyman. I am appalled at some of these comments that I have been reading over the last few days and it really makes me angry. Some of the comments are unfounded and unwarranted. Mrs. Prettyman has severed the citizens with dignity these past years. I don't always agree with her votes at times and I have shared that with her. But, for the most part she has always kept the citizens in mind in her decisions. She and her husband are the most caring people I know and I am proud to say so. Until you find out why she teleconference in at a meeting and was not there in person, I'd say you should not judge. And, if you don't agree with any vote any council members makes, just call them up and talk to them I'm sure they would appreciate your input instead of your sarcasm.
Ahhhh NO 10:29-You are wrong. In the real world if a CEO of a large corporation tells the Board he/she can't be in person for a prescheduled meeting but will be available as a "teleconference" participant, the Board is going to be looking to replace said CEO ASAP. Even unscheduled meetings. I've experienced this personally of someone who has gotten "the call," has then about 1/2 hr to get to Sby airport and off to an international airport to catch the next plane to Belgium so they could be at a meeting the next morning. This is the life of a 8 figure a year salaried executive.
10:46, Not everyone is going to agree with the decisions an elected official makes and the people commenting here have every right to express their opinion.
I too do not like or even agree with every comment but I usually come back, (like I am now) and voice my personal feeling on them, when and if I happen to SEE the comment.
There are a LOT of comments moderated here by other people in which I do not see. I cannot spend all that time reading all the comments, it's almost impossible, actually.
I believe Stevie has served the citizens of the County well. Yet I have always disagreed on her decision to bring back Bennett Middle School as well as these raises.
I personally believe IF anyone is to get a raise, IT SHOULD BE a 2% TAISE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WORKING FOR THE COUNTY.
I have always said Mike Lewis deserves more pay, ever since day one. HOWEVER, I also believe Mike Lewis should go public with just how many days he actually works for Wicomico County. ALL of you should be AWARE of that! I'll add, even Mrs. Prettyman is aware of how little Sheriff Lewis actually works and for THAT, I have a problem with her bringing this back to the table. That reason alone is why, (right now) she is NOT serving the TAXPAYERS well.
Call her yourself and ask her how often he works. You might change your mind once you hear the answer/truth.
Is there a procedure in place to have a vote postponed?
The question then becomes did she make a request to have the vote postponed until a time when she could attend and vote?
10:54 Joe, with all due respect, how would Mrs. Prettyman know his schedule. She is not his timekeeper. And, frankly, I'm not sure if I agree if this should be brought back up again or not. I don't know what her position is on it, but I plan on calling her today and hear her reason behind this.
10:46- I agree she has "severed" the citizens of the county. ROFLMAO.
You are in the minority opinion about Ms. Prettyman's value to this county.
11:05, Like any elected official, not everyone is liked. On the surface, (to many who have expressed this to me personally) Mike is a great guy.
However, there are just as many who believe Mike Lewis is not serving the County as well as most might believe and a LOT of it comes from within that department.
That being said, it's well know to many of us that Sheriff Lewis spends a LOT of time away from the Office.
Trips to Annapolis are a perfect example, as well as his Training Classes he teaches around the entire United States.
Stevie is well aware of this and keep in mind that there is NO ONE in the MEDIA who is wiling to come out and say anything that might blemish or tarnish his reputation.
Here's my thought on that. Joe Albero will NEVER take way Mike Lewis from being Sheriff. If Mike wants to be the Governor of Maryland, I honestly believe he'd have a better chance at winning then ANYONE currently running and I mean that. However, my job here is to expose the TRUTH. Even Sheriff Mike Lewis CANNOT deny he spends a LOT of time making a LOT of outside income doing his seminars.
Now, should he be doing so while being the active Sheriff, No, I do not believe he should. I believe with the kind of income Mike make doing those seminars he should step aside and help Wicomico County by supporting someone he feels could do a great job replacing him.
The deal Rick Pollitt and Mike Lewis have is unbelievable. Then again, Rick Pollitt is very rarely in the Office either, you just don't know that either.
Forget the complicated stuff. Gift Cards in Government are there for money laundering, period. How quickly we forget the antics of Mayor Sheila Dixon in Baltimore. Her gift cards were "for the poor" but turned out to be used for personal purchases including an Xbox. The Superintendent tries to justify his use of them but it doesn't matter. They ARE NOT permitted.
Mr. Palmer, your letter is spot on. I can only hope people will see the truth and act accordingly. We CAN'T afford more spending at any cost. We are MAXED out...
Joe - She has done the telephone CC meetings multiple of times. It is not limited to the last or next to the last council meeting, I cannot recall, but it is not the first time. I think it tends to alienate the rest of the council, and, public. That is my two cents worth. I wasn't aware though that she had surgery and may be recouping from it. But I do know it has been multiple times telephoning in.
Elected officials do not cast votes in Washington nor Annapolis unless they are in the session in person. It should not be any different in Wicomico. This being allowed has been a real disservice to the people of Wicomico County.
Matt Holloway is nothing more than Pollitt's yes man.Does what Pollitt says do. I do not like anything I here about Boda or Mitchell however I will be voting for one of those two over Matt Holloway as will the rest of my family.
"Mrs. Prettyman has "severed" the citizens"
Hmmm-"severed" as in divide? Some can believe this was just a mistake but I think there was some divine intervention involved.
anon 10 46
You may be a friend of Prettyman now but do something she does not like or quit stroking her ego and she will cut you off very quickly.
Matt Holloway is trying to get big dollars from the state for a "conservation easement" on his farm and will do anything that the Department of Planning (Richard Hall) and Pollitt tell him they want. Ditto Bill McCain.
11:45, Give credit where credit is due. Because Stevie was MEDICATED, she felt she was under the influence and chose NOT to cast a vote on ANY matter. Something I happen to know another Council Member from a different, (yet local) council member ignored and voted anyway.
I say bring on the forensic audit and let them comb through every transaction. I noticed that their A&E fees aren't even competitively bid, what gives there. That is like issuing a blank check to someone for services. There are literally thousands of A&E firms that could do a fine job - so why does the BOE have a double standard.
The county faces a $3.5 million shortfall and these nimrods still want pay raises? Don't like your job and pay? Pack up your crap and go find another job! There are plenty of people out here that will do a better job than you for less, suck it up sorry sacks. No one is indispensable!
Choosing between Mitchell and Boda is picking the lesser of two evils, either way you are voting for evil. Tell you the truth I think I'd rather have Muir than Holloway or Mitchell. He's been trying to get voted for something for a long time, time to give him a chance, knowing if things don't change, then the council will change again!
If the County is experiencing a 3.45 million deficiency from diminishing income tax returns, where do you think the County will be by this time next year. It might be double the above figure because I see things getting worse instead of better. And unlike last year the Feds are starting to wean off the stimulus.
Prettyman would not bring this back if she didn't have the votes to pass. I will say she has batted her eyes at John Hall and promised Matt Holloway her support on his tier map to get this passed.
Anonymous said...
I guess he is referring to Mrs. Prettyman suggestion to bringing this subject matter back up again. However, this is not the first time that Mrs. Prettyman has missed and teleconferenced in on a county council meeting. My suggestion to her is to decide where she wants to live in Wicomico Co. and/or Florida. Whether she realizes it or not, it is an inconvenience for the voters to have her proffer in from afar. Surely she must realize that to telephone in is outright rude in my opinion. I'll leave it at that.
March 15, 2014 at 10:24 AM
I agree. I think she and Gail have both been unresponsive and both should resign and let someone fill there seats until the election. WE need representation and they both are not doing it. Step down gracefully now please.
Anonymous said...
....Mrs. Prettyman has severed the citizens with dignity these past years.....
March 15, 2014 at 10:46 AM
Yes she has SEVERED the citizens of Wicomico County.
Time to step down. I know the surgery she has had and it wasn't that serious. Just a good excuse to not attend the meeting and enjoy her time at her Florida home.
Anonymous said...
Joe - She has done the telephone CC meetings multiple of times. It is not limited to the last or next to the last council meeting, I cannot recall, but it is not the first time. I think it tends to alienate the rest of the council, and, public. That is my two cents worth. I wasn't aware though that she had surgery and may be recouping from it. But I do know it has been multiple times telephoning in.
March 15, 2014 at 11:45 AM
That is correct. She spends most of the time at her Condo in Florida and has called in on the phone. She is no longer here in Wicomico County representing us. Step down please.
Anonymous said...
Prettyman would not bring this back if she didn't have the votes to pass. I will say she has batted her eyes at John Hall and promised Matt Holloway her support on his tier map to get this passed.
March 16, 2014 at 1:07 PM
The map is long overdue and has to be voted on.
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