Salisbury v. Leer Case Available Here

Since Stuart Leer spoke during public comment Monday night (May 27) as a property owner who had gone through legal cases with the City, many constituents have asked us about the case and its costs. The case originally concerned whether Mr. Leer had reconstructed a porch in compliance with the City's Historic District requirements.

Mr. Leer was cited for performing work not approved by the Historic District Commission. In response, he appeared before the Commission and was denied approval for the porch reconstruction, already far in progress. Representing himself, Mr. Leer appealed to the Circuit Court in Wicomico County, where he won his case based on the bias of the Commission. The City then appealed the Circuit Court's decision to the Court of Special Appeals in Annapolis. Again representing himself, Mr. Leer won that case.

The "unreported" opinion of the Court of Special Appeals (special appeals cases often are not published, but can be obtained by request) is found on the website at right under Documents of Interest, below our pictures. The cost of legal expenses to the taxpayers of Salisbury breaks down as follows:

Historic District Commission Hearing $0.00 (city legal counsel was not present)
Circuit Court - Wicomico County $6,351.00
Court of Special Appeals - Annapolis $11,849.75
Total $18,200.75

We hope this information and the downloadable PDF file of the opinion transcript helps answer the many questions we have received. Citizens will find other portions of the May 27 meeting instructive concerning budget matters and other aspects of city government.

The audio of the May 27 council meeting is available on the city website now and will be available on our website later today. The PAC14 taping of that same city council meeting will likely replay Monday, June 2, at 6 p.m. PAC14 now carries streaming video of its programming.

Salisbury City Council Meeting, Tues., May 27, 2007, 6 p.m., Council Chambers, Government Office Building (downtown)

(The Briefing Book for this meeting is found in downloadable PDF format in the links on the right side of this website, under the photos.)

Agenda
6:00 p.m. CONVENE – LORD’S PRAYER – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
6:04 p.m. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
6:09 p.m. PRESENTATION TO RETIREE – Mayor Barrie P. Tilghman/Police Chief Allan Webster
6:14 p.m. PROCLAMATION – Mayor Barrie P. Tilghman
• Proclaiming “Cancer Survivors Awareness Day”
6:19 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• May 12, 2008 Minutes
6:21 p.m. MANUFACTURING EXEMPTION REQUEST -- Director of Internal Services Pam Oland
• Delmarva Printing, Inc.
6:36 p.m. ORDINANCES – City Attorney Paul Wilber
• Ordinance No. 2054 – 1st reading – FY08 budget amendment appropriating funds for the General Fund
• Ordinance No. 2055 – 1st reading – approving a service and lease agreement between the City of Salisbury and the Wicomico County Board of Elections
• Ordinance No. 2056 - 1st reading – bond ordinance amendment
• Ordinance No. 2057 - 1st reading – rental registration amendments
7:36 p.m. RESOLUTION – City Administrator John Pick
• Resolution No. 1657 - accepting donation of a vehicle from the Wicomico County Narcotics Task Force and a vehicle that was forfeited by the Circuit Court of Wicomico County to be used by officers of the Salisbury Police Department’s Community Action Team
• Resolution No. 1658 - appropriating funds from the Contingency Fund for preliminary work related to a downtown mixed use redevelopment project
• Resolution No. 1659 - authorizing a time extension for temporary travel-lane shifts and closures on Parsons Road and Pemberton Drive
• Resolution No. 1660 - appointments to Recycling Advisory Committee
8:15 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS
8:30 p.m. ADJOURN
Copies of the agenda items are available for review
in the City Clerk’s Office, Room 305 - City/County Government Office Building, 410-548-3140, or on the City’s web site
www.ci.salisbury.md.us. The City Council reserves the right to go into closed session as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland 10-508(a)

Proposed agenda items for June 9, 2008 (subject to change)
• Ordinance No. 2053 - 2nd reading – adopting FY09 budget
• Ordinance No. 2054 - 2nd reading – FY08 budget amendment appropriating funds for the General Fund
• Ordinance - 1st reading – amendment to Property Maintenance Code to reflect 2006 International Codes
• Public Hearing – bond ordinance amendment
• Public Hearing – rental registration amendments
• Public Hearing – service and lease agreement between the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County Board of Elections
• Resolution – accepting 2009 CSAFE fund

Reminders -- PAC14 Tonight and Meetings This Week

The May 12 City Council Meeting will replay on PAC14 at 6 p.m. Afterward, at 9:25 p.m., the Public Hearing on the Budget from May 21 will be replayed. Two audio files containing the entire public hearing are found at right under the photos on this website.

Tomorrow, the City Council holds its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in council chambers on the third floor of the Government Office Building (GOB). A budget amendment for another $119,875 and changes to the landlord licensing ordinance are among items on the agenda, which will be posted here later tonight, along with a link to the briefing book.

This Thursday, the council will meet in Conference Room 305 of the GOB for a budget work session starting at 1 p.m. to discuss changes to the Mayor's Proposed FY09 Budget. Council President Louise Smith had requested that each council member bring his/her "decisions" to this meeting on May 29. The session is scheduled to run until 4 p.m., but council discussed possibly extending it into the evening if the course of the afternoon indicates a need to do so.

It’s Been a Full, Instructive Week

By Terry E. Cohen, Council Member

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who serve and have served our country, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and to commemorate their service with gratitude. Friday, my children and I had the privilege of attending the ribbon cutting for the new American Legion Post on Jersey Road. This was a long-awaited celebration, one long-delayed, with many veterans having passed on while it came to fruition. In her blessing of the building, Brenda Hughey-Jones said that “a dream delayed was not a dream denied” – so true as so many came together to see that dream realized.

Earlier that day, the kids and I stopped by the Salisbury Police Department station for its open house in celebration of its 110th anniversary. Rebecca and Aaron enjoyed getting to see the flashing lights up close, to sit in a police car and to speak on the handset. I enjoyed getting to meet some officers whose names I had yet to put with faces, plus seeing some familiar ones. Having experienced crime at our own home, knowing the issues we face in Salisbury, I am especially grateful for the service of the men and women of our police department.

Still earlier on Friday, I watched the Field Day assembly at Pinehurst Elementary School (my son in kindergarten was one of the “readers” onstage, so I got the extra perk of a “proud parent” moment). The dedication and caring of the faculty, staff and administration at Pinehurst never ceases to amaze me. Pinehurst was once a high-achievement neighborhood school, but as the times and the neighborhood changed, it is now a Title 1 school providing much to a wide mix of children’s needs, including its special education for physically and developmentally handicapped children.

When I took part with both children in the school talent show earlier in the week, I was delighted to see a packed house and overwhelmed by the children’s and parents’ incredible enthusiasm for every child and every family performing. Even a couple of days later when I walked through the hallways, children were high-fiving and complimenting my family’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy” performance. The spirit and supportiveness in that school is a testament to what can be accomplished.

There were other wonderful examples of what Salisbury is and can be this past week. On Tuesday, it was an honor for me to participate in the observance of EMS Week, held at the new firehouse. Christopher O’Barsky was chosen by his peers as EMS Service person of the Year. EMS members face some of the toughest situations any of us can imagine, from the horror of mangled bodies to the risk of deadly infection to carrying out their duties while distraught family are nearby. While not every response has a happy ending, many do and knowing first-hand from several occasions the swift response these men and women typically give, I thank them for their service on both a personal and representative level.

Finally, Wednesday night saw the citizens of Salisbury, both city- and county-side speaking out about the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. Many suggestions were made concerning cuts and refocusing our priorities to better serve our citizens, taxpayers and ratepayers. There were even bits of Salisbury’s history woven into comments. I learn something valuable every time citizens speak, whether pro or con on an issue.

Even a few seemingly harshly worded comments I received last year about the zoo were valuable. Rather than harbor any ill feelings toward those citizens, I learned from those comments that I did not effectively communicate what my positions and goals for the zoo were. It is my job to do better.

This is why I love Salisbury – the people. Diverse in backgrounds, needs and viewpoints, they make up a wonderful fabric of life. We have areas of our city tapestry that are looking a bit worse for the wear, so we all need to contribute our threads to weaving them strong again. I believe we have great potential, and I agree with many who spoke that we, as a city, need to take a better direction and refocus our priorities. I ran for and was elected to office for that purpose and put the citizens’ voice into constructive action.

Please join me in that commitment. If ever there was a week that showed what committed people can accomplish, this past week was a fine example. To all, a happy, safe and commemorative Memorial Day, and I look forward to rolling up our sleeves together.

Public Hearing on Budget Airing on PAC14

For those wishing to see the Public Hearing on the FY09 Budget that took place Wednesday night (May 21), the taping is being televised now on PAC14 per the posted listing:

Saturday, May 24 at 1:01 p.m. and 8:59 p.m.
Monday, May 26 at 9:25 p.m., following the May 12 Council Meeting Replay at 6 p.m.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the citizens who came to share their thoughts with their city government. There were new faces at the podium and in the audience, as well as familiar faces and voices that have shown their continuing interest over time. We hope others will avail themselves of the opportunity to observe and participate in council meetings.

Although it's a holiday weekend, there will be additional postings to this site. We hope everyone has a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend and that you take time to remember the sacrifices of our veterans and current military personnel who protect the freedoms we enjoy such as the one exercised by many at the public hearing.

Board of Elections Has Two Openings

PRESS RELEASE
May 20, 2008

The City of Salisbury Board of Elections Supervisors has two openings available for residents who are qualified voters of the city. The Board of Elections Supervisors hears appeals from decisions of the Election Administration concerning voter eligibility. The Board meets as needed. The compensation of the Board of Elections Supervisors, if any, is determined by the City Council. If you are interested in serving on this board please submit a written description of your qualifications to the following address:

Office of the Mayor
City of Salisbury
125 N. Division Street
Salisbury, Maryland 21801

All letters of interest must be received by Tuesday, June 3, 2008.
Contact: Office of the Mayor
(410) 548-3100

Terry Cohen on WICO Wed. Morning

Councilwoman Terry Cohen will be Bill Reddish's guest on WICO AM1320 at 7:40 a.m. Topics include the sewer/water work session highlights and other budget issues in preparation for the Wednesday night Public Hearing on the budget.

Don't Forget - Budget Public Hearing

The Public Hearing on the Fiscal year 2009 Budget is Wed., May 21, 6 p.m., in council chambers on the third floor of the Government Office Building.

The hearing will not be broadcast live due to conflicts with regularly scheduled programs. PAC14 will tape it for later broadcast.

The public is encouraged to attend to share question, comments, concerns and priorities.

Correction to the Correction on Mayor's Quote

By Councilwoman Terry Cohen

The reporter at the Daily Times responded to my submission of a correction to the Water/Sewer Fund article this morning (see post below) concerning the quote by Mayor Tilghman.

According to the reporter, Laura D'Alessandro, she did not make a mistake in attribution, that Mayor Tilghman made statements concerning last year's water rate increase as printed in the paper today. The reporter added that city administrator John Pick made similar statements.

I thanked Ms. D'Alessandro for correcting my error. I also let her know that the mayor's FY08 proposed budget and the official record show the mayor did, indeed, support a 10% water rate increase. I shared with her the sequence of events last summer, including the rescinding of the hike passed by the council majority, as described in the post below.

Correction to Today’s Daily Times Article

By Councilwoman Terry Cohen

In today’s Daily Times article about the potential 25% water/sewer rate hike (http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/NEWS01/805190301/-1/newsfront2), the paper stated the following:

Tilghman said she did not recommend a water and sewer rate increase last year because citizens were already experiencing a double-digit tax hike -- 12 percent.

I interviewed with the reporter late last week and stated this about myself, so I think the reporter inadvertently attributed this to Mayor Tilghman. I am sharing this correction with the Daily Times so they can take the opportunity to correct the mistaken attribution.

As many will recall, the mayor had proposed a 10% water increase (no sewer increase) last year, and Councilwoman Campbell and I opposed it. The council majority of Smith, Comegys and Shields passed it. The administration had provided incomplete information about the fund surplus, upon which knowledge the council majority joined us in rescinding the hike.

In her budget message, Mayor Tilghman said, “Last year the Council declined to implement a modest increase in water and sewer rates based upon the amount of funds in the Water/Sewer Surplus.” Again, the mayor did not recommend a sewer rate increase for Fiscal Year 2008, having increased this rate multiple times in the last several years.)

As I told the reporter, I did not consider 10% to be “modest,” especially in conjunction with a double-digit tax hike. Whether a scenario of dramatic increases for one or two years can be avoided will depend on the political will of the council majority to join us in seeking alternative solutions to revenue generation.

The mayor, by withholding the Water/Sewer Fund Surplus Financial Forecast from the council for nearly a month, has cost the council precious time during the budget process to look for solutions that can be applied in the coming budget year. The mayor also declined to take a position on what to recommend and did not follow through on her April 15 press conference pledge to hold “discussions with the council” about the financial forecast, to “collectively make decisions in a comprehensive way,” as she stated in her budget message.

Instead, Councilwoman Campbell and I urged that the mayor join the council in a work session for these neglected “discussions” and to share her recommendation, and the other council members did not object. This work session will take place in a work session on the Water and Sewer Fund tomorrow, Tues., May 20, from 4-6 p.m. in Conference Room 305 on the third floor of the Government Office Building (next to the city clerk’s office). We encourage members of the public to attend and observe.

Community Workshop Meeting Tonight 6 PM

We want to remind everyone that tonight at 6 p.m. in Flanders Rooms 3 and 4 of the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, the first Community Workshop Meeting to work on the Water Resources Element of the Comprehensive Plan Updates (both city and county will have one) will be held.

This is the first of at least two such public meetings to be held with the consultants assisting the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County with their plans. When the city council first met jointly with the Salisbury-Wicomico Planning Commission for a presentation from the consultants and to indicate whether we wanted another joint plan or one of the city's own (council elected to have the city have one of its own), we spoke up for greater public involvement, more than might be had from simple public hearings.

This is a real opportunity for citizens to learn what this important part of the Comprehensive Plan is about and to provide hands-on involvement in shaping Salisbury's future. We hope you'll be there!

Budget Sessions Reveal a Real Cost of Debt

One of the more poignant moments in the council budget sessions came when Tom Stevenson, director of Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance, shared bad news with us on April 29. When the department’s processor saw that the mayor had denied Mr. Stevenson’s request for an additional processor, she turned in her resignation.

This department, in just two short years with minimal staff under Mr. Stevenson’s direction, has done a phenomenal job in being proactive on compliance citations, compliance inspections and a host of activities requiring extensive paperwork follow up. The workload has been tremendous due to their diligence, and the paperwork is necessary to ensure compliance follow up, proper records for enforcement, and more.

The city has lost a good employee and jeopardized the work of a department that helps lower or make more effective the work for the police and fire departments by curbing neighborhood and business blight. Mr. Stevenson even suggested a way to fund his request and to move his staff from a 35-hour week to a 40-hour week to increase productivity more cost effectively.

The mayor also denied the police chief’s request for six more officers and the fire department’s request for more firefighters to meet minimum safety standards.

While we do not support unduly expanding bureaucracy, there are times when key service agencies of the city must add employees to address the increased workload, much of it coming from growth that does not pay for itself and legislation revised in a way that does not deliver the legislative intent of protecting neighborhoods.

Why is it so hard for the city to add personnel when it’s truly needed? Who can argue with another police officer on the street?

Part of the answer lies in the administration’s quick turn to bonding debt to resolve issues. In FY08, the budgeted principal and interest payments on a substantial amount of bonded debt was $1,837,945. The mayor’s FY09 proposed bonded debt payment is $2,085,668.

That’s a 13.5% increase of $247,728 in bonded debt payments. That’s enough to pay the full salary and benefits of three police officers or three firefighter paramedics and a full-time contractual employee to support the processor workload for NSCC.

Does a city sometimes have to bond debt? Certainly. But you know with your own family budget that debt becomes a vicious cycle when it is too easily taken on, instead of working on creative revenue structures or implementing policies that save taxpayer dollars.

Council Work Session Today 9 a.m. - Noon

Today, the council meets in Room 305 for a budget work session to discuss:
1. GASB 45 and Other Post-employment Benefits (policy and funding)
2. Personnel Issues
3. The Tax Rate
4. Follow-up on Outstanding Issues

The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) 45 represents a substantial commitment of funding by the city, if adopted. Personnel is, of course, another major portion of the budget.

The meeting is open to the public. Your attendance is encouraged. More information concerning last night's council session and the budget will be forthcoming daily.

May 12, 2008 Council Meeting Agenda 6:00p.m. Room 301 Government Office Building

6:00 p.m. CONVENE – LORD’S PRAYER – PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
6:04 p.m. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
6:06 p.m. CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION/PROCLAMATIONS –
Mayor Barrie P. Tilghman
• Certificates of Appreciation – recognizing recipients of Fire Department’s Bronze Star Award
• Proclamation – proclaiming “EMS Week”
• Proclamation – proclaiming “Public Works Week”
6:20 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
• April 28, 2008 Minutes 1a
• May 7, 2008 Special Meeting Minutes 1b
6:25 p.m. PUBLIC HEARING – Director of Internal Services Pam Oland
• Constant Yield Tax Rate 2
6:40 p.m. AWARD OF BIDS – Director of Internal Services Pam Oland 3
6:55 p.m. MANUFACTURING EXEMPTION REQUEST – Director of Internal Services Pam Oland
• Delmarva Printing, Inc. 4
7:05 p.m. ORDINANCES – City Attorney Paul Wilber
• Ordinance No. 2053 - 1st reading – FY09 Budget 5a
• Ordinance No. 2054 - 1st reading – FY08 budget amendment
appropriating funds for the General Fund 5b
7:50 p.m. RESOLUTIONS – City Administrator John Pick
• Resolution No. 1654 - authorizing CDBG 2008 Action Plan 6a
• Resolution No. 1655 - accepting donation of exterior paint to the
Salisbury Zoo from the Zoo Commission for the animal services
building 6b
• Resolution No. 1656 - extending Fire Service Agreement between
the City and Wicomico County for one year 6c
8:20 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENTS
8:30 p.m. ADJOURN

The City Council reserves the right to go into closed session as permitted
under the Annotated Code of Maryland 10-508(a)

Special Meeting – May 21, 2008 – 6:00 p.m.
• Public Hearing - FY09 budget
Proposed agenda items for May 27, 2008 (subject to change)
• Ordinance No. 2054 - 2nd reading - FY08 budget amendment appropriating funds for the General Fund
• Ordinance - 1st reading – rental registration amendments

Terry Cohen on Bill Reddish Show

Councilwoman Terry Cohen will interview with Bill Reddish on his morning talk show on WICO, 1320 AM, at 7:40 a.m. The topic will be the Salisbury FY09 Budget and the Monday night public hearing.

First of Two Public Hearings on Budget to Be Held Monday

By Terry E. Cohen, Council Member

Monday, May 12 is the first opportunity for the public to let its voice be heard on the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. At 6 p.m., in council chambers on the third floor of the Government Office Building, the first reading of the budget ordinance takes place FY09 Budget Ordinance, along with the public hearing on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget’s Constant Yield Tax Rate. Maryland law requires a public hearing to be held on this tax rate.

Please come express your concerns, ideas and questions to the mayor and city council about the state of the city’s finances. Are you concerned about the increase in city debt, now up to $2,888 for every man, woman and child residing in Salisbury? Do you have thoughts about the recent news about the water and sewer fund’s troubled outlook? Do you think the city is prioritizing its use of taxpayer money well? What would you change? What have been worthwhile expenditures to be continued?

Look at the Mayor’s Proposed FY09 Budget via the download links Councilwoman Campbell and I have provided at right on this website. Read other information about the budget that we have already posted. Check back here often for additional budget information.

Revised Budget Meeting Schedule

More information will be forthcoming on this website about the Fiscal Year 2009 (FY09) Budget, so we hope you will check back often and encourage others to do so. In the meantime, the revised schedule of meetings appears below. All meetings take place in the Government Office Building downtown.

The first public hearing, which concerns the Budget’s Tax Rate (to be explained in more depth on this website later today), remains on its originally scheduled date, this Monday, May 12.

The second public hearing on the FY09 Budget has been rescheduled for May 21. Because this second hearing is on a Wednesday night, it will not be televised live on PAC14 due to schedule conflicts with other programming commitments. However, PAC14 has graciously consented to tape it for later broadcast.

It is possible that the council may schedule additional work sessions the week of June 2, but no dates have been scheduled yet. Here is the revised schedule as it stands today:

Mon., May 12, 6 p.m., Council Chambers
Regular Council Meeting
Public Hearing on Budget’s Constant Yield Tax Rate
1st Reading of FY09 Budget Ordinance

Tues., May 13, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Room 305
GASB 45 Other Post-employment Benefits
Personnel Requests
Tax Rate
Follow-up on Outstanding Issues

Tues., May 20, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Room 305
Water and Sewer Fund
(This is an added-emphasis session due to the
presentation of the forecast to the council on
May 8 indicating possible severe rate increases.)

Wed., May 21, 6 p.m., Council Chambers
Public Hearing on FY09 Budget

Thurs., May 29, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Room 305
General Discussion
Follow-up on Outstanding Issues

Mon., June 9, 6 p.m., Council Chambers
Regular Council Meeting
2nd Reading and Adoption of FY09 Budget Ordinance

We hope this information assists you in planning your needed participation in the development of the city’s budget for FY09.

Delayed Budget Information Is Dual Eye-Opener

At yesterday’s budget work session, Ms. Turner of the Department of Public Works (DPW) provided an excellent forecast model she created on the water and sewer fund relevant to the impact on its surplus given some different scenarios. Ms. Turner deserves our thanks for her initiative and outstanding work.

Two eye-openers resulted from council receiving this information. One is, to replace our aging infrastructure over the coming years, sewer and water rates have to be increased at some level very soon. This in itself is not a surprise, but DPW Director Jim Caldwell’s recommended level of 25% in the first year and 20% in year two, with inflationary increases afterward, coupled with even more hard-hitting possible scenarios, was a stark revelation. The council will need to consider deeply and quickly the numerous factors involved in order to develop budgetary policy to deal with these scenarios in the most balanced way possible.

The forecasting tool that now provides us with the ability to understand the actual financial impact of annexations given sweet deals and a long-standing policy of allowing the city’s deteriorating infrastructure to continue to decline. Every time you see a pot hole or crumbling sidewalk, the Hearne and Sassafras annexations, the Salisbury Mall TIF and numerous developer reimbursements will come to mind.

The good news is – and there is good news – this tool will allow this and future councils to properly fund the water utility and bring greater transparency and order to the budget and financial management process. Our goal is to see this long-overdue process applied to the entire budget.

The second eye-opener is, this information was available as early as April 3, but the council did not receive it until nearly a month later on April 30 – two weeks after the presentation of the proposed budget by Mayor Tilghman. The mayor did not make a recommendation for a rate increase, instead saying at her public budget presentation that she just plugged in over $4 million dollars of surplus to balance the water and sewer fund budget until she could have “discussions” with the council.

Wednesday’s work session was apparently intended to be one of those “discussions,” but the mayor was not present. Is the mayor’s proposed budget her budget or not? What scenario with what level of rate increase did she plan to recommend since she had the forecast in enough time prior to presenting her budget to make a recommendation? Especially given that the administration was copied on the council’s budget session schedule, did the mayor not think that it would be beneficial to have this discussion sooner than five weeks after the information was available, and with just a month left before the budget must be struck?

First the mayor’s proposed budget has inconsistent representations of the department heads’ funding requests granted and denied, which the council learned a week after the budget had been presented by the mayor. Then, we had to ask to see actual requests to reconcile them against the budget, and these came 8 and 10 days after the budget was presented. Now, with only a month to go in the council’s budget process, we are briefed on this critical situation with the water and sewer fund with serious implications for both our infrastructure and our taxpayers.

Like last year’s last-minute revelation of a huge tax hike, the mayor’s pattern of suppressing information and severe budgetary changes until the last possible moment does not serve the city and its citizens well. When the mayor is not forthcoming with full information in a timely manner and is not clear regarding her budget recommendations, the council and the public cannot know the true status of our city’s financial picture, any more than they could with late audits and delayed updates on the current year-to-date expenditures.

The mayor’s budget process takes place largely out of the view of the public, while the council’s process is open to full public view. The taxpayers of Salisbury have a right to know exactly where the mayor stands on spending their money and her rationale for doing so. They have a right to the transparency of full and timely information from the administration and to hold the mayor accountable for her decisions, rather than have her portion of budget accountability shifted to the council, which has its own share to shoulder.

City Council Meets Today in Closed and Open Sessions

Below is today's Salisbury City Council meeting agenda. Please note that the work session is preceded by a closed session. The public CAN, however, come at 4:30 p.m. to observe the motion to close the meeting, the discussion (if any) and the vote to close the meeting. If the motion passes, the public will have to wait in the hallway until the session is open again for the work session agenda.

SALISBURY CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
- - - - - - - - - - -
MAY 5, 2008
CONFERENCE ROOM 305
GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING

Closed Session
4:30 p.m. Consult with legal counsel as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland
Section 10-508(a)(7)
Open Session

5:00 p.m. Review of RFP responses for auditing services – Pam Oland
5:30 p.m. Street closure by PRMC – John Pick/Jeff Harmon
6:00 p.m. Briefing on Delmarva Power sewer lift station – Jim Caldwell
6:30 p.m. Take home vehicle policy – John Pick
6:55 p.m. General discussion/upcoming agendas
7:00 p.m. Adjourn

The Council reserves the right to convene in Closed Session
as permitted under the Annotated Code of Maryland 10-508(a)

In Recognition - Chuck Ward, Planning and Zoning

Some of you may have caught the Daily Times article and editorial about Salisbury-Wicomico Planning and Zoning Department member, Chuck Ward, who converted a diesel car to one consuming waste vegetable oil along with the diesel. His estimate, as reported by the Daily Times, is that out of 100 miles of driving, he runs only 10-12 miles on the diesel fuel and the rest on the vegetable oil collected from a restaurant. Chuck is also spear-heading some forward-thinking energy alternatives in Chincoteague where he resides.

While he stated that fuel prices drove his decision to pursue the personal alternative, it's obvious that Chuck has the kind of environmental and budgetary initiative of which we all could use more. We wanted to take a moment to recognize that initiative.

In Memorium - Berlin Mayor Tom Cardinale

We join residents, officials and staff of Berlin, MD, in mourning the passing of their mayor, Tom Cardinale, who died Saturday of an apparent heart attack. Mr. Cardinale was just shy of his 70th birthday. To his family, his friends and all who had the pleasure to know him, we extend our deepest sympathies. The opportunities we had to engage in conversation with Mr. Cardinale, he was always very warm and cordial. We know he will be greatly missed.