Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Mayor Ireton Removes Blight Properties From City Website

Even though this was one of the TOP platform items Jim Ireton ran on to get elected as Mayor of Salisbury, all of a sudden the Mayor has pulled the blight property of the week. Now let me see here. Didn't Jim just hold a meeting with Tilghman, Dunn, Cathcart and other SAPOA members?

All of a sudden the Mayor has flip flopped. All of a sudden the DT's is attacking City Council Members again, like it used to be before Ireton was elected. All of a sudden Ireton removes the blight property and we're right back to where we used to be before Ireton was elected. In fact, here's some of the verbiage Ireton spoke of soon after he was elected...

To the members of SAPOA: this city desires your help, but it will not wait for it. It is a shared responsibility we have to keep the citizens of this city, both renter and homeowner, safe. We, as a city government, do our best to provide police protection, fire protection, emergency medical assistance, parks, playgrounds, clean streets and working street lights.

But property owners must do their part to keep houses in our neighborhoods safe and in good standing with the city’s requirements. Clean streets aren’t enough – properties must be maintained by their owners. Houses with dozens of calls for service for our police department and code enforcement office, houses with too many people in too small a space, houses illegally being used with too many units help create as unsafe a neighborhood as any broken street light.

The city’s government and the mayor’s office have been criticized by many in the rental community in the past year. Yet, I say to the renters and homeowners that elected me that my stance has not changed. I will say again: Police your own, and the city of Salisbury won’t have to. If rental owners, homeowners, and renters follow the law, they won’t be subject to its consequences. But there will be no negotiations with those who fail to follow the law.

The vast majority of rental owners in this city provide safe, affordable housing to many of our city’s residents. But we will continue to strive for every house, apartment, townhome and living space in this city to be in good standing with this updated code. And if they’re not, this city will not shy away from its responsibilities and the city will take action. The legislation announced today will make the city’s housing code clearer and its consequences appropriate for the conditions our neighborhoods face today.

More on this topic HERE.

Signing that petition gets more interesting by the second. Be careful what you ask for Folks.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"our city housing code works against us, not for us. Our housing code is antiquated, written to protect special interests, and is part of the cause of our crime problems"

Snipped from the Mayor's remarks.
If I may be as presumptuous enough to assume that most people agree with this then the question becomes has there been any changes to the housing code? What if anything has been done to address the current problems (too many calls for service by PD, etc) caused by rentals?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for rhat reminder and connection, Joe. Jimmy now shows, loud and clear, that he cares nothing for the city. I've said since shortly after his election that he's a self-serving prima donna.

Anonymous said...

Who wrote that housing code that doesn't work? Paul Wilber? Barrie Tilghman, Mike Dunn, Gary Comegys, Louise Smith, Shanie Shields, Lynn Cathcart -- all connected to that petition drive?

The friends Jim Ireton has screwed on council have been working at improving that code for years while Jimmy was off prancing for the camera and riding their coattails into office.

It's my democratic right to express that opinion, Laura Mitchell. I don't think you are doing this petition drive because of "democratic rights." I think you are doing it for political reasons, period.

Here's one more opinion: I think Jim Ireton is a sell-out who only cares about his political career. I pray it's a short one for him and Mitchell.

Anonymous said...

No press release about it? No "gee, maybe I was wrong to do that"? Just a slinking off?

That's Jim Ireton...slink away, Jim, slink away, Mr. Big Stuff.

Anonymous said...

Somebody beat me to the self-serving sell out of Liarton.

Anonymous said...

Jimbeau's gotta go!

Anonymous said...

Notice that JT no longer slams Ireton -- that relly says something about both of those malicious misfits.

Anonymous said...

JT's guiding principle is-Do/Say the Opposite of What Joe Albero is Doing/Saying.
Try asking him on his site why the council shouldn't have access to the city attorney and he won't even approve the comment. He doesn't even know what he jonesing for on his own site half the time.