A Message from Councilwoman Cohen in Follow Up to the Public Input Meeting Feb. 21

As promised to the constituents who attended the public input meeting on increasing transparency in Salisbury city government, below this message is an outline recap of the meeting, held Feb. 21, 2008 at Las Palmas Restaurant. The delay in getting this up today is due to ensuring that we had provided this same information to the other city council members first. Councilwoman Campbell and I will also share this with the city administration, as well as county counterparts.

Further, as promised, we requested council colleagues' feedback on the information and invited them to work with us to provide a requested informal "town meeting" for constituents. We await their response.

There is much to be developed from just this information thus far. We are also responding to constituent desires for a follow up meeting to the one at Las Palmas by scheduling a workgroup-style meeting Tues., March 25, 6:30 - 8:30, Meeting Room 1(basement) of the Wicomico County Free Library. More on that as the agenda develops.

In follow up to issues raised by the audit process, and in advance of tonight's council meeting, Councilwoman Campbell circulated a proposed charter change to all members of council re: the Transfer of Funds, Section 7-27, to provide clarity and consistency with state law in assuring fund transfers receive council approval. She moved to add the change to the agenda for discussion, and I seconded the motion. The motion to amend the agenda failed in a vote of 2 to 3, with council members Smith, Comegys and Shields voting "nay." Further information about the meeting will be shared tomorrow.

Thank you to all who attended Feb. 21 and to the gracious owner of Las Palmas for providing avenue for an important dialog in the truest sense of democracy.

And now, the recap outline: