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Sunday, October 05, 2008

Salisbury, Don't Live There, Still Care

I don't live in the city limits of Salisbury, but I still care how and why decisions are made by it's leaders. Why? Because people like me work, shop, eat, attend school, and visit doctors in Salisbury. Our county seat is located there, so all county business also gets done in Salisbury.

Folks living inside the city limits will say that we don't pay taxes and can't vote, so stay out of our business. Well, that's not exactly true. We pay food taxes, entertainment taxes, and so on. We also pay county taxes that partially go to paying for services used by city residences. Our County Council also has a say over some things in Salisbury. Our sheriff's office handles calls there, as well as mutual aid fire assistance. These services are paid for with our taxes.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have to go to Salisbury for anything. The crime is very high as has been discussed in previous threads. Traffic volume is high, there is nothing much to do except eat, and the people aren't generally friendly. All in all, life outside of the city is quieter, safer, healthier, and a little less stressful.

Do you think people living outside of the city limits should have a say about what goes on inside the city limits? Are we justified by the reasons I mentioned above? If you live outside the city limits, do you care about what goes on in the city? I most certainly do.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some of us live even further away, but have elderly/handicapped friends and relatives who were locked into their mortgages/life dynamics down there. We need to make sure they have prescription meds, make it to doctors appointments and make sure there is enough heat/AC/gasoline and groceries. And when we see nonsense like violent crime, by either local thugs or spoiled college students, just know that although we can't vote for your city, our First Amendment rights and strong voices will still do our best to "cover your backs." Keep your chins and pride up, make sure your voter registration is legit (and offer older/infirmed neighbors a ride to the polls),don't let strangers in your house, don't flash/give out money in public and keep the faith that a "younger, wiser, more passionate/intelligent" leader may be on your horizon. We will not forget you-but PLEASE do everything you can to meet us half-way during the democratic process (attending council meetings/casting your votes).

R. Budd Dwyer's .357 said...

Watch Out!!!!!

It won't be long before Barrie or her heir apparent will levy a 1-2% income tax on those who live outside the city, but work in it. It was done back in my hometown, and the services which should have gotten the money went further into the tank.

Anonymous said...

Mardela welcome aboard, and indeed people that live outside the city limits do have a stake as to what happens here. Without county residents coming into town to spend money Barrie would have no funds to waste on studies instead of hiring new police officers.

Anonymous said...

I live out of state and work in the CITY and i think we have alot to say about what goes on in SBY!!

Anonymous said...

I gave up on Salisbury. Taxes, crime, and traffic were too much to deal with. The 70% or whatever of housing that is rentals was falling apart all around me - every couple of months I had new, dysfunctional neighbors that would get drunk or drugged up and start fighting with each other over adultery, illegitimate children, and more. I was mugged once, and of course nothing ever happened from the police report.

Look at the writing on the wall - the fallout of the administration and their poor decisions will negatively impact the city for decades.

Living outside of the city saves me HUNDREDS of dollars per year and my quality of life is a lot better, to boot. Maybe I'll come back one day, but for now spending 8 hours a day in this city is all that I can take.

Good luck cleaning up, residents. It's not a battle that I felt was worth fighting.

Anonymous said...

wait, wait, wait, I can't believe this. Really. Wait. We have people calling Salisbury, Md "The City" now.

This is really happening. There are actually people, real people, who consider Salisbury, MD "The City".

Is this what the media is talking about when they reference "Middle America"?

Anonymous said...

Also, what about city business owners?? We own property AND pay taxes in Salisbury... including the recently invented "personal property tax." However, we are not entitled to a vote. Taxation without representation at its finest!