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Sunday, November 16, 2014

Salisbury Storm Warnings – Rain Tax Coming; "The Bricks" Is Back

The election has diverted attention from Salisbury's city government in recent weeks, during which some serious things are happening at the Government Office Building. The City Council has decided to implement the rain tax – disguised as a "fee" to avoid being reported as what it really is. The proposed ordinance was on the agenda for first reading at the November 10 Council meeting. This tax, as currently envisioned by Mr. Day, one of its proponents, would begin in the next fiscal year and apply to both residential and other properties. Another reason not to reside or locate a business in Salisbury.

"The Bricks," like bad breath, is still around – vacant and dilapidated – and the Council wants to try again to attract a developer operator that would obtain government funding to renovate it for housing. Whether city taxpayers would pay any of the necessary funding is unclear. Readers will recall the estimated cost that was announced a few years ago – upwards of $200,000 per unit. Here we go again.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can take the democrats out of office but they still have that mentality to steal from you.

Anonymous said...

In the next 2 years you will see more taxes than you've ever seen.
Running scared !!

Anonymous said...

And they waived the fee for the booth st project

Anonymous said...

same thing they did in Berlin with Get Williams as Mayor--heard he went over and gave Ireton a presentation --Gee wouldn't even give the normally real estate tax exempt folks like churches and civic groups and schools a break--costs us dearly to pay it each month and double taxes us as the schools have to pay it which comes out of our county taxes and budget---not much of a small cool town here!!!

Ben In Salisbury said...

I am moving and the State of Maryland is not overly attractive. The rain tax is a way to get money into a general fund so it can be spent on any number of items not it's original purpose. AKA A cash stash to spend on specialty trash

Anonymous said...

The Bricks needs to be renovated into the City of Salisbury Government office building and then they should vacate the Wicomico County Government Office Building. Wicomico County has run out of space and they need the room.

Anonymous said...

With taxes like this who would want to start a business in this town.

Anonymous said...

If you still live within city limits, and you pay this tax, you're a fool. Wipe your a$$ with the bill and mail it back.

Anonymous said...

Yet another brick added to City Council's building of a ghost town.

Anonymous said...

Solution for the 'Bricks'...$100 of explosives and bring it down!

Anonymous said...

Not living within the city limits - but disgusted with the "tax and spend" mentality prevalent in this socialist bastion; how can the rest of us help fight this disease?

Aside from the recent elections - which should tell them how we really feel, the next elections will hopefully complete the retaking of our country from the dumbocrat pox!

Anonymous said...

Maryland has forced many municipalities into MS4 permitting then construction. I doubt without a change in Bob Summers at the head of MDE Salisbury has an option but to raise large amounts of cash to meet the permitting requirements. All of those costs would be public information so maybe someone will comment on the dollar options. The cash raise is a problem for declining populations and high rentals Cities that require those permits. The western shore Cities don't seem to be as affected.

Rebel Without a Clue said...

Joe, I'm looking at this photo and the time-stamp is wrong since I am in the photo. It was taken in 2011 if memory serves. Speaking of memory serving, I recall taking a look around and wondering to myself just why in the world anyone would want to rehab the place. Sure there was a day in time that it was a nice place but today you're better off tearing it down and selling the copper out of it. The cost of renovation far exceeds that of building from scratch in my opinion. I say demolish it and start new if they are truly that concerned about low income housing.

Just my 2 cents, I could be wrong.

Anonymous said...

The mall will close down and move to Delmar. Why would any of the businesses there want to stay once this rain tax is imposed on the owners and passed on to them? How many acres of impervious surface is there at the mall?

Anonymous said...

Just curious but where or what is "The Bricks" ? I haven't heard about this place.

Anonymous said...

What a dumb bunch of people running city government. None of them have any idea of what they are doing, which is running people out of the city. Take a walking tour and you will find we are becomming an abandment property city, with houses being replaced by apartments.

Unknown said...

Larry hogan said he wouldn't use the rain tax like governor omalley so don't go crazy over it, hogan will get rid of it

Anonymous said...

We no longer have D. Campbell and T. Cohen to protect us (along with Time Spies) from the nonsense of Ireton, Day, Shields and Mitchell.

Salisbury's better days are over, and it's now a real banana republic.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
If you still live within city limits, and you pay this tax, you're a fool. Wipe your a$$ with the bill and mail it back.

November 12, 2014 at 7:50 AM

Unfortunately some of us are stuck here because we got caught when the market crashed. I can't sell my house without taking a loss. I can't afford to by a new house without the down payment I could have gotten out of my house. Now I am stuck here.

Anonymous said...

5:48, amen.

What the remaining jerks do not comprehend (Spies excluded from comments) is housing of this type is the last thing that damn neighborhood needs if they want it to recover.

Oh. Based on what I just wrote, I now understand the rationale for why they are pursuing this tunnel-visioned path.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The Bricks needs to be renovated into the City of Salisbury Government office building and then they should vacate the Wicomico County Government Office Building. Wicomico County has run out of space and they need the room.

November 12, 2014 at 7:39 AM

Good idea. Are you listening Jimbo and Jake.