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Jack Heath announcing his run for
County Executive with Brad
and Palmer Gillis. |
By Thornton Crowe
In early November, Jack Heath, City Council President, announced he was running as an Independent for the Wicomico County Executive position. This move has been widely proffered by Salisbury Mayor Jake Day and with good reason given the candidate hopeful's political track record in his current position, where he's voted for everything the Mayor has put forth, including a staggering $50K pay raise per year for a part-time job.
This rubber stamp mentality has given Salisbury a few things one would not find palpable like the the Festival Fiasco, the Main Street construction project with it's million-dollar short-comings (for removing contaminated soils), along with the raise many citizens aren't on board with. Additionally, let us not forget, Heath and his fellow council members signed off on a budget starting last July which violated the City's charter, thus, making it illegal.
It seems interesting that Heath decides to run in the midst of the controversy concerning the City owing the County millions in back rent and capital expenditures for its squatting in the GOB as pointed out again in last Sunday's articles. Is Day hoping if Heath wins the City will be forgiven for the millions out of pocket to Wicomico citizens?
Whenever you see the Gillis clan in attendance, it's a good indication the local elites are going to push for a candidate - this time is no exception. Anyone who knows Heath can attest to his timidity and this is probably a good reason people like Day along with Brad and Palmer Gillis are behind him. He seems to be the rubber stamp man they want to back all their hair-brained initiatives, more sweet real estate deals and nonsense.
Needing 700 signatures in order to obtain a legal place on the ballot, it seems Heath's camp, which apparently includes Day, has been
pressuring City employees to sign the petition as per many sources' complaints to Salisbury News Editor, Joe Albero. This request has led some employees to fear they will be fired if they don't comply. When one source was challenged on their claim, the person said, "Just audit the signatures, you'll see."
This leads us to believe this claim is viable and furthermore, it's a violation of the
Hatch Act of 1939, which prohibits the Mayor and City Council President from engaging in coercing City employees to do anything of a political nature, as defined:
"Enacted in 1939, the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C.A. 7324) curbs the political activities of employees in federal, state, and local governments. The law's goal is to enforce political neutrality among civil servants: the act prohibits them from holding public office, influencing elections, participating in or managing political campaigns, and exerting undue influence on government hiring."
As late as last weekend, Heath's representatives were still canvasing neighborhoods, trying to gather the necessary signatures; therefore, he may not met the threshold needed to actually run against incumbent, Republican Bob Culver.
This is not the most auspicious way to begin a campaign, but not surprising given the players involved. If anything, it only further validates how our local leadership and business class elites always seem to feel they're immune from laws the rest of us are task to live by.
Should Heath manage to get on the ballot legitimately, his nefarious past political folly along with this gross violation of federal law, penchant for rubber stamping items regardless of what they do the community and dubious connections should be a cautionary facts for voters to remember on
November 6th, 2018.
