Category: Campaign 2011 – Salisbury

Questioning the Salisbury City Council candidates – part 3

If you’re new to the series, here are part 1 and part 2.

We pick up here with questions on development of jobs and of downtown Salisbury.

There’s no question that a standard answer for making a community more business-friendly is to eliminate red tape – we all know that. But a better question is what sort of incentives can we bring to the table to attract businesses and what sort of businesses do you feel would be the best fit for the city given its location and workforce?

Boda: First, it begins with attitude and how we approach the situation.  Approaching the business community and asking “What can we do to help?”. Retaining business is priority one in my opinion.

Creating a clear, concise formula when presenting extraction or impact fees for new businesses will provide a clear understanding of what is expected.  Instead of demanding it all up front, create a flexible payment plan that offers options on how and when fees need to be paid.

Identify where we want growth, create a plan with developers and members of our business community, and execute it.  The execution of our plans are key, because we have had many studies and plans over the years with very little execution.

Ford: First, we must create a community vision plan.  My “Together We Can Build a City” initiative aims to bring together stakeholders from across the city in a professionally, independently facilitated forum to identify a common direction for the city.  As an example, I have heard a lot of discussion about the untapped potential of the waterfront, but over the last 20 years, disorganized, piecemeal development of properties on the water has created stagnation for the city and those that have invested in those properties. 

A community vision could serve as an encouraging roadmap for businesses around which to create their business plans.  If a business owner knows, for example, that the city is going to concentrate its efforts in the waterfront area, he or she will have incentive to fall in line with the collective progress and develop a business that fits in with the others around it. 

Individual businesses will not and have not succeeded in the downtown area.  It will take a joint effort of multiple forces to create the synergy needed to develop and revitalize the center city area. 

As far as businesses throughout the rest of Salisbury, we must create a level playing field between county and city tax rates.  The City of Salisbury is a checkerboard territory with pockets of county property scattered throughout its boundaries.  Literally, neighboring businesses pay significantly different taxes.  This is counterproductive, discourages businesses from locating within city limits and deserves discussion.

Salisbury’s unemployment rate is actually lower than the national average right now, but our economic challenges are a product of national and international forces. As such, our job is to prepare for the larger economic recovery and capitalize on its arrival.

As far as what types of businesses are best for the city, I believe fundamentally that a healthy economy requires diversity.  We have learned the hard way what it means to rely on one or two keystone businesses.  When those businesses leave or close, the whole community stagnates.  I would like to see Salisbury seek a combination of large businesses that employ many people and smaller businesses that can respond quickly to change.

I would like to see Salisbury capitalize on the bookends of the community, namely Salisbury University and Peninsula Regional Medical Center, to create a regional economic hub centered around medical and technological industries, including green technologies.  I would like to see manufacturers relocate to Salisbury.  While high tech and green jobs do not directly address the blue collar workforce of Salisbury, those industries do support the related service industries that support them…hotels, retail, hospitality and service jobs. 

Mitchell: It is good practice to eliminate unnecessary barriers to attracting and securing new businesses in Salisbury, as you said. The City now has an Information Technology department that is working to restructure the City’s official website and move it to a new server. These steps should make the site more operational, and with the input of the business community I believe we can make it more user friendly. I would like to see a site where prospective businesses could find access to most everything they need to establish a business in Salisbury, from licensing requirements and applications to scheduling inspections to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. The State of Maryland is also taking steps to improve access by restructuring the State website to allow more business startup transactions to be completed online.

As for the incentives, I like the program that Cambridge MainStreet conducted last fall. To attract new businesses to downtown, they held a contest to award the winners 2-3 months of rent free storefront downtown to allow them time to make a profit during the holidays. The hope is that those businesses will now have enough cash to operate through the leaner months until shopping (traditionally) rebounds in the spring. I will also refer back to the TIF, Enterprise Zone, and Invest Maryland Fund programs outlined in question four above. The State of Maryland is also taking steps to improve access by restructuring the State website to allow more business startup transactions to be completed online. These are by no means the only things we can do, but they are options we should carefully consider.

I feel that Salisbury can accommodate nearly any type of business. We need to entice businesses that can utilize the over 1,800 educated minds that Salisbury University graduates each year. Biotech, clean energy technology, green chemistry research firms, and pharmaceutical companies are some examples of high tech industries with well-paying jobs to which SU graduates could contribute. Manufacturing jobs are also important to employ both skilled (welders, electricians, etc.) and unskilled (assembly, maintenance, etc.) labor. The talents in this community are unlimited so we should not limit ourselves in the types of businesses we seek to utilize those talents.

Cohen: At a number of work sessions, I have raised these issues. We want to be careful with “incentives,” using them wisely and in a limited, targeted fashion. Otherwise, we end up with a mini-Chicago/Illinois version of a TIF nightmare (tax increment financing) and other fiscal problems.

Tailoring incentives to supportive locally born business in a fiscally responsible way would be one place to start. Rather than more giveaways, revolving loan funds and creative ways to help smaller businesses survive that crucial first one to three years of start-up or expansion should be considered, the latter already being the case with the reuse of the old Messick Ice Plant.

We can better attract businesses here by focusing on our assets and building our quality of life up. Businesses, while happy to take incentives or use them as a deciding point between two comparable locations, look for whether an area has a market for their product or service or a sustainable area for operations. Companies want to find locations with low crime, good schools, an educated labor force, housing availability and choices for their employees, and a community commitment to quality of life.

As I’ve noted before, among the types of businesses we should try to attract include those in the bio- and eco-research, product and service areas. With the natural assets of our region and demographics, companies in these fields should be attracted by those assets and would find a skilled labor force among our local college graduates, as well as offering a diverse set of jobs for those without higher educations. There are other “good fit” types of companies we can talk about, as well.

Spies: As we all know, well-paying jobs are necessary to our city’s growth and survival. One up and coming industry stands out in my mind as one that will remain vital and grow through upcoming decades and that would be an easy fit for Salisbury: the production of alternative energy source equipment, including, but not limited to solar panel and wind turbine technology.

Excellent and available manufacturing facilities lie within our city’s borders that can rapidly and easily be retooled to suit those industries’ needs. Attractive tax incentives are and can be can be at the forefront of the city’s encouragements to companies looking for an area with a moderate personal income levels, good transportation resources and a ready, well-educated and technologically experienced workforce.

Dryden: If it is decided that impact fees are necessary, then at a minimum, they should be set up in a way that would allow them to be staggered over time to avoid a business choosing a different town due to fees. We have the benefit of being at the intersection of two major highways so we will continue to experience retail growth in the future but we should continue to make every effort to attract manufacturing and technology employers to bring higher paying positions for our highly skilled workforce. In the end, changing our perception will be a good first step toward bringing in new business.

Dixon: Our City has gone from allowing new businesses to open with no fees or changes to demanding an outrageous amount for both. In order for the City to become more business-friendly, we need to take a more open and welcoming approach. The City needs to have a set and reasonable structure for all fees pertaining to all businesses. We need to regulate and revise those fees, consider short term moratoriums on certain fees and incentives (waivers) to bring businesses here. Many businesses do not start to turn a profit in their formative phases. I would like to implement a policy creating a reverse pyramid payment plan. Using this reverse pyramid scale allows the owner to know the amount due upfront, there by lowering the startup cost by paying a small payment in the early stages of the business. I also feel that by working in cooperation with the County Council, current businesses, prospective businesses, and area organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, we can work to streamline a variety of processes and duplication of services.

Taylor: No response at this time.

For decades, people have made grandiose plans to redevelop downtown Salisbury – closing the plaza blocks to vehicular traffic was one proposal which didn’t work so well. How would you propose to create a downtown area which is busy on a 24/7/365 basis and doesn’t roll up the sidewalks at 5 p.m.? And what steps can the city take to help private investors make the downtown a more active area?

Boda: Interestingly other Cities and Towns in our area have successfully revitalized their downtowns.  Cambridge and Berlin are two prime examples of success stories. Looking at what they did in specifics, is going to be key.  Mayor Gee Williams did a spectacular job of bringing in the business community and asking “What can we do to help you?”. I couldn’t agree more with his sentiment and their success, net loss of 9 businesses to a net gain of 16, sure says they did something right.

I do believe the mantra of beds and heads is only part of the plan. I believe we need to attract two to three anchors, national chains such as a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Pottery Barn, Borders Bookstore, to complement the unique local businesses that are must. Working out waivers on extraction fees for businesses that wish to come in to the downtown is a must and working out deals to keep businesses already there.

Another idea is to expand Third Fridays from once a month to eventually every weekend. Making Downtown a destination point and generating traffic is what will attract the attention of businesses that will provide jobs and services to our community. 

Ford: I basically answered this question with my answer to number 5, so to recap, I feel that step one is to identify a community vision, step two is to use that vision to create a synergy of effort in the areas surrounding the plaza, and step three is to foster the actual realization of the vision plan.  Vision plans tend to arrive amid excitement and then fade away because no one protects them from obscurity.  I personally love the architecture of the Plaza, but realistically it may not be large enough to support itself.  Developing the waterfront would bring new life and energy into the city center area. 

Mitchell: It should be noted that some of the current programs downtown are working, such as Third Friday, and these programs need to be continued. We should encourage expansion of these programs along with scheduling more arts and cultural events downtown. I also agree with Chief Duncan and State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello’s proposal of installing safety cameras and motion activated lighting throughout the downtown district in an effort to deter crime and increase safety.

Parking on the Plaza is an issue; however, there is plenty of parking on either side of the buildings that line the plaza. There are some concerns about passage through to the plaza (depending on where you park) that may be helped with cameras and lighting in the passageways that lack those amenities. I do not believe that our downtown can or should be a 24/7 hub at this point because of the number of residents that live above the storefronts on the plaza. However, I do feel that we should encourage existing and future businesses to extend their hours to 9:00 p.m. so that visitors can come down after work to eat, play, and shop downtown. Public/private partnerships have great potential to revitalize much of our city, including the downtown area. The program that MainStreet Cambridge used downtown is a great example in that the private owners of the storefronts could waive the rental fee for a few months and may get long term tenants in return. The public part came from MainStreet Cambridge marketing the contest, accepting, reviewing, and selecting the applicants’ business plans to select the winners. Similar partnerships exist in Salisbury and can be expanded if we bring interested parties together for civil discussions to determine when and where to collaborate.

Cohen: In the short term, “busy on a 24/7/365 basis” is not likely to be a realistic goal. One factor is, a large portion of Downtown real estate is taken up by governmental entities, such as the state court building and the health department. Downtown faces other logistical obstacles as well.

One place to start is with code compliance and property standards. Poor property maintenance was a problem even before the economic nosedive, which is detrimental to those owners, managers and businesses making serious efforts.

The Town Gown Committee of Salisbury University formed an ad hoc group to take a look at what the University might do to foster revitalization of Downtown. They are thinking in terms of “baby steps” at this point.

Such involvement and “baby steps” are a good thing, but let’s think something in between “baby steps” and “grandiose,” too. When just one new business comes in at a time, there is often not enough activity around it to help it hold on until another arrives. Looking for ways to create a cluster of activity at once will help businesses sustain.

This question begs a comment about Old Station 16, the sale of which has served to further divide people rather than build a community. This is a perfect opportunity for the people of Salisbury to work together to develop “a sense of place” and create a real “public-private partnership.”

Soliciting thoughts from a wide spectrum of people, I found there is a lot of support for using the old firehouse as an open market showcasing local food, quality crafts and the arts. Instead of a “pennies on the dollar” giveaway involving Program Open Space riverfront property that was not surplused nor advertised for sale, the city taxpayers can hold onto their valuable asset during a recession – one that has historical value and great meaning to many — while private enterprise is nurtured in a mini-Reading Terminal Market.

This would serve a diverse market base, from upscale professionals to low-to-mod income area residents, and harness thousands of people who work downtown in the government buildings and at the hospital as an economic engine. This city needs a project everyone can be part of and this certainly would afford that opportunity.

Spies: Arts and entertainment are high on my list as those business types that can generate sufficient interest to a customer base that has money to spend and time to spend it. I also believe that the customer bases we need to greatly develop are family and youth oriented. With the library close at hand and hundreds of children and parents visiting each day, we should take advantage of the opportunity with restaurants and activities attractive to them. With our zoo and city park just blocks away, out of town visitors can be encouraged with signage, brochures and incentives to visit downtown with their children and to extend their stay with fun and affordable lunch, dinner, additional entertainment (live and other types) and retail. The marketing possibilities could be enormous. A possible slogan: Salisbury – Make a Kid’s Day!

The youth-oriented concept would also dovetail nicely with Salisbury’s 2010 designation as an All-America City®, which addressed, among the city’s most pressing challenges, youth issues. This retooling of downtown’s image would be an investment not only in our financial future, but also in the future of our youth.

The city can offer its assistance through additional advertising, promotion and tax incentives. With the theme of downtown being youth-oriented, especially if educational aspects are included, grant funding from state, federal and private sources will be more available than for many other types of projects.

Dryden: To begin with, I would like to get feedback from the downtown businesses to find out their concerns and recommendations. I would suggest considering the reduction or possible removal of parking meters and more convenient, well lit parking for business patrons. I would continue to encourage current activities such as the “Third Friday” events.

Dixon: I feel that in order for the Downtown Plaza to be a successful area 24/7/365, we as a community need to establish a welcoming atmosphere which includes residents feeling safe and secure. Furthermore, in order for the Plaza to generate more business, I feel that we need to attract multiple types of businesses, such as entertainment, restaurants, shops, and a variety of offices. The City can help with this by supporting Chief Duncan and her plan for the “Safety and Security of Downtown.” The City could also look into placing more lights in the area as well as making the plaza more accessible. The citizens of Salisbury and the surrounding areas can also take a stake in this process by taking the time to explore what the Downtown Plaza has to offer and stepping up to the plate. Rehabilitation of the downtown is a complex and difficult issue and requires a concentrated community effort to make it happen.

Taylor: No response at this time.

The fourth and final part will be put up on Thursday night.

Questioning the Salisbury City Council candidates – part 2

This time the questions will deal with crime – which to all candidates responding was their most important issue – and infrastructure.

Since this is the second part, I shouldn’t need any updates for late responses unless Michael Taylor decides to respond. In that case I’ll add him to both this part and part one I revealed Tuesday evening.

We all know crime is a major issue. Do you feel that Mayor Ireton’s ‘Safe Streets’ program, which addresses the issue from the standpoint of reforming zoning laws and strengthening code compliance, is a valid approach to the problem? Why or why not?

Boda: The root cause of crime is Education, Economic Opportunity and a need for a stronger role from our Faith Based Community to offer programs, volunteers and mentors.  These are the three pillars of creating a healthy and strong community, with a message that criminal behavior is unacceptable and not welcome here.  That message must be backed up with strong action and prosecution of major offenders to the fullest extent of the law.

As far as the Safe Streets Legislative package that has been presented, I do not believe more regulation is necessary.  We already regulate the relationships of individuals living in residences in certain areas of our city.  How much more regulation can we stand?  

The other part that concerns me is that someone who is accused must prove their innocence of code violations.  Specifically, on the Non-Conforming use issue, the government has thrown out all of the records from years past.  So you are “Guilty until proven innocent” and the government has thrown out all of the evidence, that sounds like a stacked deck to me.

Another concern with this legislation is forcing property owners to convert these old homes back into single family home.  This presents several problems.  First, where are all these people going to find affordable housing.  Second, the sheer cost of converting these homes back is a huge obstacle.  Third, if they unable to afford conversion, they will be unable to sell a home that  needs thousand of dollars of work done, required by the government.  Fourth, who will be able to afford to live in such a large home, specifically the electric bill and heating bill because many of these homes are not energy efficient.  

These are serious concerns that would need to be addressed before this legislation can move forward.  However, I do believe the council needs to at least bring it to their work sessions to discuss, after that is what they have been elected to do.

Ford: The social value of home ownership is well established through scholarly studies and research. Home ownership creates stable neighborhoods. Home owners have financial interest in their homes and the homes around them and are more likely to report crime and deter negative behavior in the occupants of their own homes as well as that of their neighbors. Homeownership correlates to lower levels of crime, teen pregnancy and social disorganization, and to higher educational achievement, property values and quality of life ratings.

While homeownership rates for minorities have increased over the past decade, they still lag far behind white homeownership rates. Some sociologists draw a connection between lower homeownership rates in African American and Hispanic communities and higher rates of crime victimization and illness in those populations. I feel strongly that any situation that keeps minorities from owning their own homes should be addressed. In my opinion, Salisbury has a dysfunctionally high rate of rentals to home ownership that is contributing to violent crime and blight.

This is NOT to say that I seek to displace renters or feel that renters are the cause of crime and blight. I, like most young adults, rented apartments myself for years. I do, however, feel that having large blocks of rentals in what should be or have been residential neighborhoods creates pockets of what sociologists call “social disorganization” which again lead to higher crime and lower quality of life.

As such, I believe that housing initiatives such as Mayor Ireton’s Safe Streets program are properly considered as crime fighting initiatives. The research is too strong to ignore and other communities that have addressed similar housing issues as Salisbury’s have reduced violent crime and social instability.

As far as Safe Streets itself, I believe it is an imperfect initiative that with mature and careful consideration can be made to address Salisbury’s specific crime and housing problems.

Mitchell: I have read the Safe Streets Legislation proposed by Mayor Ireton. While I do not think it is a perfect piece of legislation, I do believe it is a valid approach. Reforming zoning laws and strengthening code compliance is just one of the components of the legislation. I believe that landlords AND tenants need to be held responsible for the properties they rent. As Chief Duncan recently said during a work session relating to Safe Streets, there is a nexus between homes with code violations and crime; to take care of one issue will aid in the effort to reduce the other. The language used in the legislation requires clarification as to distinguish what landlords and tenants are responsible for in reference to code violations. We must consider the fairness of fining landlords for issues that are the responsibility of the tenants per their lease (i.e. cutting grass or visible trash cans). That does not relieve the landlords of accountability for the properties they own and the maintenance of those properties. Tenants are entitled to a decent standard of living; the proposed “Tenants Bill of Rights” is a good start to ensure that landlords comply with standard zoning laws. It must also be made abundantly clear that the city is not against renters, rather Salisbury embraces its rental community and the intent of this legislation is to implement safeguards to protect them.

We must also realize that property maintenance, while the most controversial section, is only one component of Safe Streets. Reducing other crime such as gang activity, drugs, and prostitution, is another important aspect of the legislation. Chief Duncan is already developing plans to break the two major gangs in Salisbury as well as deter students from joining gangs by starting early intervention programs in the elementary and junior high schools. Better programs for rehabilitation would also be implemented to prevent repeat offenders and help people return as successful members of our community. I believe this is an especially important issue and I am currently working on implementing a new program with a local non-profit to teach basic work place skills to such individuals.

I must note that I, like many others, struggle with the cost/benefit analysis of the Amortization Provision Eliminating Lawful Nonconforming Uses and I have considered whether an occupancy limit would be preferable. However, I do believe that the idea behind the Neighborhood Legislation part of the Safe Streets package is sound. According to the statistics, and the experts, there is a correlation between the condition of properties and proximal criminal activity. Abandoned homes, and those in disrepair, broadcast the message that no one is paying attention to the property. That can be seen as an invitation to criminals to conduct their illicit activities at such locations. There are issues with the legislation as it currently stands, but I feel that it can be an effective tool for law enforcement and code enforcement once those issues are resolved.

Cohen: At the January 27th work session where the package was discussed in part, I finally got to go on the official public record to some extent regarding these proposals. I encourage the public to listen to the audio, found on the website I share with Councilwoman Campbell, www.OnYourSideSBY.blogspot.com.

First, let’s be sure that everyone understands that the Mayor’s proposals are not the same thing as the Safe Streets “Program,” which is a multi-faceted initiative and partnership with the state and allied agencies. His proposals do relate to the goals of the program and support the findings of the Crime Task Force, which has had a highly diverse and broad community and law enforcement representation. This is the reason I believe he introduced them under the Safe Streets banner.

There is value to be had in this package, but it does need work. There is a connection between poor housing practices, declined neighborhoods and crime. At the work session, Police Chief Barbara Duncan not only noted that correlation, but its relationship to putting law enforcement officers in harm’s way.

The Mayor’s goals are to abate crime, restore neighborhoods and recover costs from those whose properties use a disproportionate share of city services. I support those goals, but recognize that zoning law and behavioral law concerning nuisance and criminal behavior are separate from a legal application perspective.

I have often said that we need to stop “breaking” our children with neglect of their neighborhoods and sending them to school for teachers to “fix,” followed by expensive intervention programs when that task proves insurmountable. We have lost six months of valuable time while this package was used as a political football in a public relations war.

There are ways to pursue the related, but legally different goals, as I began to discuss in the work session, including a way to respect the property rights of both nonconforming property owners and conforming property owners. A council committed to both fighting crime and restoring neighborhoods can use this package as a good starting point for development of tools needed by both our law enforcement team and our neighborhoods.

Spies: Crime is a most serious issue in Salisbury.

Crime keeps away business and customers. Crime keeps away good jobs. Crime raises taxes, cuts profits and makes everything more expensive. Crime raises rents. Crime raises insurance rates. Crime degrades quality of life, destroys neighborhoods and makes livable places unlivable. It destroys families, it destroys lives, and it’s threatening to slowly destroy Salisbury. Prospective investors and companies ready to offer well-paying jobs shy away from Salisbury because of the problems that crime causes and will cause. Local real estate professionals adamantly affirm that crime ranks at the top of the list of reasons why potential buyers do not and will not buy in Salisbury, whether it be residential or business properties. No wonder: a national home sales research company recently rated Salisbury the worst of 79 Maryland cities and towns in violent crime.

The worst.

The Mayor’s Safe Streets Initiative

Mayor James Ireton presented to the city council this summer a seven point plan to decrease crime in our neighborhoods and across the city. It has come to be known as the Safe Streets Inititiative, while its official title is The 2010 Safe Streets Neighborhood Legislative Package. Each of its components have been proven to reduce violent crime in areas with populations, demographics and problems not unlike Salisbury’s. Many, if not all, are in keeping with the recommendations of the Mayor’s Crime Task Force, a large multi-disciplined committee commissioned over three years ago by Salisbury’s previous mayor. Together with the already extremely effective Maryland Safe Streets program, which has been in active operation in Salisbury for over five months, the components of the Mayor’s Safe Streets initiative can be useful tools to minimize crime and the impact that it has on our city and us all. They offer, through several avenues, the opportunity to go after crime where it lives. And no one that knows our city can deny that some of our residential neighborhoods are rife with crime and the criminals who commit them.

This is not to say that the package is perfect as presented by Mayor Ireton. Most supporters, including myself, have reservations about portions of the initiative and see that others need adjustment and clarification. And as was demonstrated in last week’s city council work session, this process may take a while. Just the opening discussion of only one of the items took nearly two hours before it was derailed by the council president and put to an as yet unspecified work session. How long the discussions will last once they resume and how many of the seven items of the package will be discussed under Council President Smith’s leadership is anyone’s guess, given her nearly five month refusal to bring them before even a work session. But now that they have been, more stakeholders are talking and more interest is being generated throughout the community: many want to know more, and many want to see the best of it work. The discussions should continue as soon as is possible; additional, extended work sessions seem to me to not be out of the question. Every day they are not is another day with new crimes that might have been avoided, another day of more victims, and another day of putting our sworn officers’ safety at unnecessary risk. The time to fix this to the best of our ability is now. Anything less is unconscionable.

Code Compliance

I believe that improved code compliance is a feature key to crime reduction. Poorly kept properties invite crime and make it easier for crimes to be committed. A residential building with grossly overgrown shrubbery, broken, dirty and uncovered easy access windows, poorly secured doors, dirty, decaying exteriors, and trash strewn in an unkempt yard with no sign of effort from those who live there to improve those conditions have a well-proven and undeniable negative effect on nearby properties and neighborhoods. They invite criminals because they look like no one cares. They invite criminals because they look like easy targets. And where there’s one easy target, there are very often many.

With crime comes additional neighborhood destabilization, as more and more properties become derelicts and eyesores. Homeowners sell just to get away, but not to those looking for a nice place to live and raise a family. All too often, criminals move in. And the trend, if unregulated and unabated, continues until that neighborhood, and all that a neighborhood should be, is gone. And once it’s gone, it’s very, very hard to get back.

The importance of code compliance was brought home in the statement by our new police chief at last week’s council work session when she firmly addressed Council President Smith: “Madam, I would ask that you take heed of the small things.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

Dryden: I believe that Mr. Ireton is trying to make progress on a very important issue. I do, however, have concerns over the potential for success of the legislation as written. It seems to have divided the citizens and in turn lost its main focus of reducing crime.

Dixon: While I applaud the Mayor for making an effort to address crime, I do not feel his “Safe Streets” Legislative Package is the correct approach because we do not know the financial implications and loss of housing this legislation will have on the City. The legislation in its current form will also duplicate ordinances we already have on the books. It may be more beneficial to the City to enforce and update the current ordinances prior to attempting this package. I believe a different approach is needed. I would support legislation to provide the police department with the resources they need to accomplish their goals. We need to work with the businesses we currently have in the area, while attracting new businesses to Salisbury. Finally, I believe community involvement will deter crime. However, I will say I believe that Maryland “Safe Streets” program has been a move in the right direction in creating interoperability between agencies. The proposed Safe Street Package is very different from those implemented in other jurisdictions.

Taylor: No response at this time.

In the last 24 hours, heavy rain has created a sinkhole along Business Route 13. Other streets are falling apart as well because maintenance has been deferred. Since the “growth pays for growth” approach doesn’t seem to work when you have a lack of growth, how do you propose we pay for needed infrastructure repairs, or is there a different sort of solution you have in mind?

Boda: Infrastructure is a major issue that is often overlooked. We have in our city infrastructure that dates back 50,60,70 years. Salisbury needs to ensure that infrastructure needs are a priority, specifically savings in “rainy day fund” to take care of emergencies. Prioritizing projects (which is being done when referring to our CIP) by categorizing which ones affect health and safety the most and ensuring projects are accomplished without adding to the City’s debt load.

What many do not realize is that Business Route 13 falls under the jurisdiction of the State Highway Administration, not the City of Salisbury.

Ford: First, I would create a prioritized list of infrastructure concerns, with the highest priority being those that affect public safety, such as bridges, electrical safety, lighting, traffic control, etc. With limited funds, we must first address the most critical needs and as funds become more available we can address more cosmetic needs.

Your question of course leads to a discussion of impact fees, or the amount of money that the City charges new businesses when they are applying for permits to cover the cost of water, sewer and road modifications to accept the new business. The idea is that the city has bills to pay, and that a new business should pay its fair share of the costs of the infrastructure from which it will run its business and from which its customers will arrive.

The problem is that in Salisbury right now, impact fees are high and this is creating the impression that Salisbury is not friendly to business.

Impact fees are calculated using a formula set by state authorities and that formula must be applied to all business applicants equally. We cannot pick and choose who must pay impact fees and who does not.

However, this does NOT mean that we cannot reduce impact fees. Any time you have a formula, you have variables that get plugged into the formula. In Salisbury’s case, the reason impact fees are so high is because our variables are high…in particular the high cost of our waste water treatment facility. If we succeed in reducing the variables that go into the formula then the resultant impact fee will also be reduced. We must seek remedies from those responsible for the mistakes that led to the high costs of the waste water treatment plant to reduce the amount the City owes on that project. It will reduce impact fees to new businesses, leading to growth, leading to more revenue for other infrastructure projects.

Also worth discussion is annexing county property into the city. Obviously this is a huge discussion that must reflect the feelings of both communities, but it does seem inherently unfair for city residents and businesses to pay for the infrastructure that their neighbors enjoy but do not pay for. I would strongly suggest using the “Together We Can Build A City” community vision process to discuss this highly charged issue.

Increased territory through annexation means great potential for growth. The City can expand its options for new businesses and assuming the waste water treatment plant could handle the growth, annexation would create additional revenue for the city.

Mitchell: That particular sink hole was on a State owned road, however, it could just as easily happen on a City owned street. As I mentioned earlier, I believe that we must be proactive in bringing new business to Salisbury in such a way that growth does pay for growth and helps to revitalize our infrastructure at the same time. I have detailed three methods that could help jump start that growth on my website on the “Make it Your Business” page. Those are the strategic use of Enterprise Zones, proper use of the Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) program, and possibly the use of the Invest Maryland program. If approved by the Maryland Legislature, the Invest Maryland program would provide seed money for start-up business and funds to help established businesses expand and possibly relocate. Each program requires considerable explanation that would take up considerable space here, so I will refer interested parties to my website at LauraMitchell.org for those details. I do note that there have been unsuccessful uses of TIFs in Salisbury in the past; however, they can and have worked very well in other jurisdictions and could work here if done properly.

Cohen: Salisbury joins virtually every other municipality and government in grappling with this issue, compounded by previous decisions that added to the unsustainability of the infrastructure. There are no easy solutions, especially when there are multiple contributing factors.

First, we need to assess the size of our “infrastructure deficit,” and to our Public Works Department’s credit, this process has been under way, especially in the last couple of years. Second, we need to consider various revenue generation proposals and weigh carefully both their ability to help and their varying degrees of pain. Third, we need to think strategically about how we can “unburden” the existing infrastructure to help it last longer, which is possible in a number of ways.

Finally, we need to set some realistic expectations with our citizens that there will be trade-offs in dealing with this staggering issue. Involving them in the process will help toward that end.

Spies: Answered the question as part of Question 1.

Dryden: To answer the question Rt. 13 is a State highway. However, the question brings up a good point. Growth pays for growth doesn’t work when there is no growth. Salisbury has become known as a tough place to do business which results in a lack of growth. Even in this economy, businesses are still opening. They just aren’t opening here! This is partly due to the high cost of opening and operating a business in Salisbury (ie. excessive impact fees, slow approval processes, and a general anti-business climate). We must change that mentality in order to have the necessary growth to increase our taxable base to allow us to maintain our infrastructure.

Dixon: As everyone knows, the economy is down, but keeping up with infrastructure is vital to the City. The City needs to continue to review its budget, cutting unnecessary expenses, postponing projects that are not vital at this time, and streamlining processes. If grants are available I see no problem with attempting to secure the grants to prevent putting a larger burden on our citizens or business owners. It goes without saying that every major city in the country is facing similar problems with aging infrastructure and a lack of funds to address it.

Taylor: No answer at this time.

Look for part 3 to appear next Tuesday evening. In the meantime, I’ve found out there will be another City Council candidates’ forum on Thursday, February 18 at high noon at the Salisbury Chamber of Commerce building (144 E. Main Street.) That brings the list I’m aware of to three:

  • February 18: Chamber of Commerce (details above), 12 p.m.
  • February 23: Americans for Prosperity (Brew River, 502 W. Main Street), 7 p.m.
  • February 24: NAACP (St. James AME Zion Church, 521 Mack Avenue), 7 p.m.

Questioning the Salisbury City Council candidates – part 1

This evening I kick off a four-part series where I ask the eight people seeking to become members of Salisbury City Council questions on what I feel are some of the top issues facing the city – a city where, as of last month, I became a resident.

All eight candidates had the same questions provided to them via the e-mail address they gave to the City Clerk upon filing. I have decided to list the answers in the order they were returned back to me – since Muir Boda and Bruce Ford were the first to respond their answers are listed first. If I haven’t received a response by press time this will say so; however, I’ll go back and add late responses retroactively to allow a candidate to set the record straight.

Because there’s a lot of candidates in the race, I decided to make this a four-part series where I ask two questions at a time – otherwise I may have a 10,000 word post and that’s way too long. I didn’t give the candidates a word limit on responses so they could answer as completely as they felt they needed to.

As I alluded to above, Muir Boda was first to the post, followed by Bruce Ford. The remainder are revealed in the order of reception, with seven of the eight represented – Michael Taylor has not responded as of this writing. Responses are edited as needed for formatting only.

Note: Joel Dixon got his answers to me shortly after I finished this early Tuesday evening. As promised, his responses are added to this post and will be sequential in future chapters. Tim Spies also sent in his answer to question 2 after the deadline for publication. Good thing this isn’t the print media!

Part one will deal with the first two questions I asked, beginning with this one.

1. If you were to prioritize the issues you’d like to address as a member of City Council from the group listed below, in what order would you place them (rank these 1 through 6):

  • Cleanup of the Wicomico River
  • Crime
  • Infrastructure
  • Job Creation
  • Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury
  • Taxation

Boda: 

1. Crime.
2. Job Creation.
3. Taxation/Regulation.
4. Infrastructure.
5. Revitalizing Downtown.
6. Cleanup of the Wicomico River

Ford: 

1. Crime – Salisbury is in a crisis regarding crime.  Any other meaningful initiatives require us to reduce violent crime in the city first.   

2. Job Creation – Once law enforcement agencies chase crime out of the city, which they will do, we MUST fill the void with hope.  Not only do law abiding citizens deserve stable, well-paying jobs, jobs also allow the city to divert our at-risk populations from criminal activity towards employment and self-sustainability.

3. Taxation – Being careful stewards of the citizens’ tax money means both 1) reducing expenses wherever possible and spending wisely and 2) increasing tax revenues by attracting businesses and homeowners to the city. 

4. Infrastructure – Modern business needs modern infrastructure.  In my opinion taxation and infrastructure are closely related.  I see infrastructure as an investment in business and quality of life in our neighborhoods, both of which mean increased tax revenue and decreased expenditures for upkeep of our municipal systems.

5. Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury – Revitalizing Salisbury as a place to raise a family will ultimately require revitalizing the Plaza and downtown Salisbury.  I feel strongly that Salisbury is squandering its most unique and vital asset, it’s waterfront.  One of the reasons I am promoting the “Together We Can Build A City” initiative is to develop large city-wide momentum behind expansive multi-year projects like developing the city’s waterfront and tying it into the Plaza and the City Park.  There is too much value and potential in our waterfront to leave it ignored.  With that said, the prior four priorities must logically be addressed first to create the framework upon which to develop the waterfront and downtown.  

6. Cleanup of the Wicomico River – I value our environment and feel we should be good gatekeepers for the Wicomico River Watershed and the Chesapeake Bay.  In terms of cleaning up the river itself, this requires multi-jurisdictional efforts with municipal, county, state and federal efforts.  It can be done with vision and planning.

Mitchell: This is a little challenging because it is a lot like asking which of your children you love most. Nonetheless, I have ranked the items in the order I believe they should be addressed because of their interconnectedness and logical progression, rather than their relative importance. The rationale behind my “ranking” is as follows. We will have a difficult time bringing new businesses to Salisbury if we do not control our crime. Beyond that, I believe we have to be assertive in finding businesses that are willing to relocate to Salisbury. Even if they are not looking to relocate, they may be willing to do so if we create the right business environment and living conditions for the families of their employees. We already have a fantastic location and wonderful amenities here and in the surrounding area. Salisbury is a great place to be, but we have to market the city in such a way as to draw more businesses to Salisbury that will create those well-paying jobs. Bringing new business to Salisbury, which could help to infill the downtown business district if planned well, will help to improve our infrastructure. That will, in turn, attract more businesses. It is a concept known as “leapfrog” development. With increased revenue from the increased growth, we can minimize the need for additional taxes to pay for operating and capital expenditures. The increased income could help pay for special projects like cleaning up the Wicomico River, a move that has the potential to attract still more growth and tourism.

  1. Crime
  2. Job Creation
  3. Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury
  4. Infrastructure
  5. Taxation
  6. Cleanup of the Wicomico River

Cohen:

1. Crime
2. Job Creation
3. Taxation
4. Infrastructure
5. Cleanup of the Wicomico River
6. Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury

While I have other issues I believe are priorities as well, I chose the order of this specific group for the following reasons (in brief):

Number 1, Crime, affects lives at the deepest level (including those of our police officers), impacts the daily life of our citizens and inhibits our businesses from realizing their greatest potential. It discourages economic development, degrades quality of life and sucks our treasury dry for its abatement. It is a huge factor in being successful in achieving Number 2, Job Creation. Companies don’t want to locate in crime-riddled areas. Some say jobs reduce crime, and there is truth to that, but with the level at which Salisbury experiences crime, it needs to be reduced and removed as an obstacle to job creation. Number 3, Taxation, is somewhat vague as a topic, but I think of it as a focus on fiscal responsibility, an initiative for which I am already known in my actions on council. It also encompasses fairness for city taxpayers, revenue generation and wise use of resources.

Without a focus on these first three, it will be an even greater struggle to make progress on the next three. Whenever we work on an issue, let’s work smarter and not harder by accomplishing more than one goal at a time. I will be discussing all six of these in greater detail over the course of the campaign and on my website.

Spies: 

1 – Crime
2 – Infrastructure
3 – Job Creation
4 – Taxation
5 – Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury
6 – Cleanup of the Wicomico River

1 – Crime

This is the issue upon which so many others depend.

While crime occurs throughout our city, a disproportionate share of our public services and tax dollars are diverted to areas and properties that have chronic crime problems. Ironically, many of those properties pay some of the lowest residential taxes. Those who shoulder a greater property tax burden, whether they be home or business owner, could be seen as actually subsidizing chronic problem properties with their tax dollars. Without a decrease in the crime that plagues us, more crime related services will be necessary, taxes will rise in reflection and everyone will pay more, including renters, as rents will increase to offset the landlords’ new property tax obligations.

I will speak more about crime in coming weeks. In the meantime, I invite you to go to my website, www.timspies.com, to read more about how I feel about it.

2 – Infrastructure

To look at it one way, our city’s infrastructure is what keeps us healthy (water and sewer), safer (streetlights) and mobile (streets). With each is the cost of operation, maintenance, replacement, repair and expansion of services.

We are fortunate that our water quality is excellent. While our water pressure is currently adequate, additional demand will require attention in the form of at least one additional water tower. The remainder of the water delivery system, primarily the underground mains, is old and frequently in need of repair. Much of it should be replaced, hopefully in concert with the large number of streets that are in need of resurfacing.  Water and sewer funds are separate from the general fund, to which most taxes and fees are sent.  We must find additonal funding from whatever source to enable us to complete the upgrades of our mains.

Highway User Funds, the money generated by motorist fees that comes to us through the state, were slashed by $450 million in 2009 to suit budgetary shortfalls. And in 2010, we saw a reduction of between 75 and 90% of municipalities’ funding all across Maryland, again to offset deficits. In response to this loss of working funds, funds on which we rely to care for our roadways, city government in late 2010 created and passed Resolution 1977, urging state administration to include in its annual budget full funding of highway user revenues for municipalities. We, along with many other Maryland cities and towns, await a definitive response from the state. Until then, as difficult as it may be, it looks as though we will have to continue to work with our limited resources while we strive to find more funding sources.

Streetlights are now in the process of being repaired and upgraded by both the city and Delmarva Power.  If you have an non-operating streetlight on your street, get the number from the pole and report it to Delmarva Power or public works

I will later discuss the wastewater treatment plant. 

3 – Job Creation is difficult when crime frightens employers away and unnecessarily stresses those already here. With economic times as difficult as they are, employers look for sites that offer minimum risk to ensure that their overhead remains the lowest it can be. We must use every tool at our disposal to reduce crime to sane levels, and continually look for, find and adapt new crime fighting strategies to fit our needs.

Meanwhile, we must otherwise become and remain prepared to suit new employers in other aspects: a population of job-ready candidates, educated and trained by our secondary schools and three nearby colleges, ensuring that those educational facilities and programs are attractive to employers in their own right; present a healthy infrastructure that will support the needs of industry; offer modest tax incentives to attract start-up companies and those wishing to expand their already existing businesses; investigate pay-as-you go possibilities for those requiring infrastructure additions and changes; maintain our city’s eye appeal so that a drive through is attractive rather than repellant; aggressively search for and be open to new ideas from all sources, in and outside of the box, and; encourage local businessmen with financial resources to stimulate interest and create new retail and service jobs with the understanding that their wealth depends on the health of our city and that they, as long-term stakeholders, may have a particular obligation to assist their city during troubled times, troubled times that will certainly pass more quickly with their help.

I am particularly encouraged by and use as an example the recent negotiations between the city and the Knorr brothers of Southern Boy Concepts, the gentlemen who operate a wildly successful brewery in Delmar and several popular restaurants in and nearby the city. By thinking outside of the box, an agreement was reached with Salisbury government that will not only bring new jobs to Salisbury, but an increased city tax revenue stream, a new, attractive destination for those who spend money here, and change a highly visible property from a potentially blighted one to one that speaks of thoughtful entrepreneurship and will to succeed even when the negatives seem to outweigh the positives. The creation of this craft brewery and attached restaurant in a high traffic area can serve as a positive model of successful partnership and understanding between business and government. I hope that others will follow suit and present ideas that are as original and that can take as full advantage of existing infrastructure and opportunity as this one has.

4 – Taxation

In a nutshell, here’s how I feel about taxation:

– Reel in foolish spending and we’ll have fewer obligations for which to tax;

– Spend on important things first, like our infrastructure and public safety;

– Borrow only when necessary and only in amounts that will be necessary to meet our needs and improve our revenue base. Leave extravagance at the doorstep.

5 – Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury

The bringing to life of our downtown is an issue that has many puzzled, and, frankly, I’m one of them. We’ve had lots of plans, but they don’t seem to spur the will of sufficient numbers of those movers and shakers who have the financial ability to carry them out. Why is that?

On the bright side, I am pleased to hear that a very successful local and regional business is considering opening a themed restaurant in the Downtown Plaza’s City Center. If it is all that it can be and creates a solid and expanding clientele base, it can act as a much-needed anchor for downtown, drawing more foot traffic and the strong and possibilities of more commerce.

While there have been improvements in the downtown scene in regards to activities, retail and community response, I would like to see more, and not just on Third Friday. We have a retail, arts and entertainment, residential and business corridor at our fingertips, ready to fill with people who seek something different. Bring on the ideas. Bring on the enthusiasm. Bring on the money.

6 – Cleanup of the Wicomico River

Ranked last of six not because it is unimportant, but because progress is being made and is high on the Mayor’s priority list to continue. With the recent removal of several sunken abandoned barges from the North Branch, it’s evident that the Mayor is keeping his promise of a clean Wicomico inside of ten years. I trust that his efforts will continue.

Stabilization of the river and tributary banks with native grasses and trees began as part of the Living Shoreline program in 2008. These plantings add erosion control and a biological filtration buffer, capturing multi-source contaminant runoff before it reaches the river. River water quality is affected by many factors, including the tidal nature of the river itself, surface stormwater runoff, upstream and downstream agricultural, industrial and residential chemical use, illegal and improper drainage and the discharge from our troubled wastewater treatment plant. All are currently being addressed.

I will keep close tabs on the Mayor’s continued efforts, and will pay close attention to recommendations of environmental experts and advocates. Should improvement efforts falter, I will be there to support their resumption at a level that befits our community’s desire to see the Wicomico healthy.

Dryden: 

  1. Crime-is my number one concern for the city of Salisbury.  I would like to work closely with the Chief of Police, the State’s Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement to confront this issue head on.
  2. Job Creation- if we can become known as a place that is a forward thinking, streamlined, and business friendly city, the end result will be a higher standard of living for our residents.
  3. Infrastructure- given the current budget restraints, It is going to be necessary to focus our resources on the most basic needs over the next few years while planning for the future.
  4. Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury- another issue that will only come to pass by inclusionary policies like inviting our local business people and residents to come to the table with a vision and creative ideas to bring back a local treasure.
  5. Wicomico River Clean-up – having grown up on a farm I have a great respect for the environment and realize that living on the Eastern shore is a gift and the Wicomico River deserves to be taken care of.
  6. Taxation – this is on the bottom of my list because new taxes are not a priority.  Low taxes are a priority.

Dixon: 

1. Crime
2. Job Creation
3. Infrastructure
4. Revitalizing Downtown Salisbury
5. Cleanup of the Wicomico River
6. Taxation

Taylor: No response at this time.

2. The wastewater treatment plant renovation has, simply put, been an unmitigated disaster for the City of Salisbury. How can City Council do a better job of oversight on this and other large-scale capital projects?

Boda: This is certainly a very sore subject.  Simply put the City trusted the engineer and approved the project on good faith.  It was most certainly a difficult decision and the decision was also based on regulations that were in place at that time.  

We now have several things going against us. The upgrade has not performed as we were told it would. Second, the State of Maryland changed the law after after completion of the project and are demanding we be in compliance. We need to be tapping the resource of our elected representatives in Annapolis to help lobby on our behalf in either changes to the law or a special exemption due to our circumstances.

As far as large scale projects in the future, we need to make sure we have all the information before us with a variety of options. We need to make sure that everything is in compliance and wee need to know if there are any changes in the law or regulations looming in the near future.

Ford: The cardinal sin of making mistakes is to make the same mistake twice.  To avoid the mistakes made with the WWTP, projects of any significant size and scope must be monitored by multiple sources of oversight.  The cost of the WWTP has shackled the city for years if not decades and left many disturbing questions in its wake.

In the judiciary, judges recuse themselves when there is an appearance of impropriety even if they know in their hearts they can be impartial.  This is to protect the integrity of the judiciary as a whole against the impression that it makes decisions based on factors other than the law. 

Large projects must begin with a competitive proposal and bidding process, period.  We must have experts review the proposals, then testify before the mayor and council to teach us how to make informed decisions on the material we are reviewing.  A $40 million waste water treatment plant is an incredibly complicated and technical undertaking.  We as citizen representatives must acknowledge our own limitations.  The monumental cost of mistakes at this level more than justifies the cost of these oversight procedures.

City Council members in my mind are very much like judges.  Our job, especially on projects like the WWTP, is to hear testimony and gather information from multiple sources and make informed decisions in the best interest of those we represent.  If we do not accept input from all sides, we are doomed to make bad decisions. 

Oversight mechanisms likely already exist for major projects in the city…competitive bids, audits, expert reviews, public input and so on.  Those systems failed here because elected officials made poor, uninformed decisions.  The ultimate oversight is the vote.  Exercise it.

Mitchell: I would like to see, and have begun making investigatory contacts toward creating, a volunteer Citizen Review Panel to review and provide input on significant projects involving taxpayer funds. This panel would consist of professionals including, but not limited to, engineers, architects, accountants, realtors, developers, environmentalists, bankers, geographic information system (GIS) experts, information technology (IT) consultants, etc. While this panel would have no authority to accept or reject projects, their recommendations would be highly valued by the Council. Of course, alternates would be required because no person or company could consult on a project with which they are otherwise involved. The panel would meet as needed to review project proposals from an independent, professional standpoint to alert the City of potential problems or shortcomings in the plans. In the case of the WWTP, such a review panel would likely have caught sight of some of the red flags and design flaws and been in a position to alert City officials to the potential problems before the contract was even signed, certainly before the plant was built.

Cohen: Oversight is an important component of a council member’s job, despite accusations of “micro-managing.” As elected representatives, council members are accountable directly to the public for their decisions, unlike the staff. The mantra of “trust the staff” does a disservice to both elected officials and appointed or hired staff. Through well-defined policy and oversight, staff is empowered to do its job better, with clear direction. Good communication from the administration can help council create the framework for better risk management.

We have had some forward movement in this area, but not enough. The WWTP taught the City the importance of evaluating liability clauses in contracts to ensure better protection of the citizens’ interest. Thanks to a conversation I had with a gentleman in the construction trade, I urged that performance bonds more consistently be included in the City’s contracts. The City must be a fair, but firm, negotiator with vendors. I’ll continue to pursue and encourage improvements in our contractual processes.

Spies: Looking back, the wastewater treatment renovation served us a lesson that we’ll live with for decades.

Looking forward, we need to keep those lessons in mind through each step of the process, including the adequate vetting of new technology and, certainly, minimizing our financial risk should there be a performance problem after the fact. I believe that what one pays for, one should get, and that those contractually providing a product or service should be held to standards that sufficiently protect the public dollar and the public at large.

Dryden: Spending tax payers hard earned money is difficult under any circumstances but certainly something of this magnitude merits much time, research, and effort.   Perhaps with future large scale projects the City of Salisbury may need to establish a new system of checks and balances with a specific plan for obtaining the proper advice necessary to make informed decisions.

Dixon: The City Council, as well as the Mayor’s Office, can do a better job of oversight on large-scale capital projects by doing their homework on the project. That includes researching the company, looking at projects completed by cities comparable to Salisbury, and more carefully reviewing contracts prior to awarding bids. There should be no contract clauses limiting the vendor’s liability. After the project starts the company working on the project, as well as the department involved, needs to be held accountable to see it through to successful completion.

Taylor: No response at this time.

A reminder

This is something I’m looking forward to putting together.

So far two of the eight Salisbury City Council candidates have responded to my questionnaire, with a couple more promised over the weekend. My plan is to begin this series Tuesday and continue on a regular basis over the next couple weeks.

I’ll do two questions at a time, with the responses being published in the order they were received. One advantage to this is that I can link back to previous editions to include the response of latecomers.

So check back regularly to stay informed on the Salisbury City Council race.

AFP joins forum barrage

If there’s an election, there must be a roster of forums and other gatherings where the public can listen to and interact with the candidates in question. The Wicomico County chapter of Americans for Prosperity is jumping into the fray with their own gathering at Brew River on Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:00 p.m.

Moderated by local radio personality Bill Reddish, the event promises to be somewhat of a counterpoint to the NAACP’s event held the following night. In any case, those who attend should be able to learn more about the candidates they’ll vote for the following Tuesday.

All general inquiries can be directed to State Political Director Nick Loffer 443-994-9395 or nick@afpmaryland.com. For event information, or if you are a candidate confirming, please contact Donna Ennis at 410-860-1008 or estrnshr45@gmail.com.

Three old hands, one newcomer dominate Salisbury Council poll

While this is far from a scientific poll and it was possible to stack the deck, the best-known names tended to dominate my first Salisbury City Council survey. Here are the results:

  1. Tim Spies – 48 votes (19.28%)
  2. Orville Dryden, Jr. – 47 votes (18.88%)
  3. Muir Boda – 46 votes (18.47%)
  4. Terry Cohen – 46 votes (18.47%)
  5. Joel Dixon – 24 votes (9.64%)
  6. Bruce Ford – 17 votes (6.83%)
  7. Michael Taylor – 11 votes (4.42%)
  8. Laura Mitchell – 10 votes (4.02%)

Among the finishers, I wasn’t surprised to see the incumbent and previous candidates finishing in the top tier. But Dryden’s support was surprising and if he can parlay that into actual votes he’ll easily advance through the primary.

In the bottom half, Dixon and Ford did a little better than Taylor and Mitchell yet lagged far behind the top four. That’s a trend which tends to occur in Salisbury races – while six advance, the winners have generally come from the top four. It’s tough for the #5 and #6 finishers to leap over two or three others to win, although it could conceivably occur in a close race. If this poll reflects the actual results, though, I would peg the contest as one of four people seeking three spots.

I’ll probably do another survey in the latter half of February – in the meantime I’m awaiting answers to my questions from a number of candidates. So far only Muir Boda and Bruce Ford have replied, so the other six better get cracking! How about reminding them, readers?

Scary times in Salisbury

Apparently this really happened to City Council candidate Muir Boda, who I’m sure would have preferred to make news another way:

At 1:36 am I woke up to what I thought was someone knocking on my front door. As I lay in my bed thinking that it was a little too loud to be a knock on my front door, two more loud bangs rang through my neighborhood and I knew it was gun shots. It sounded like it was in my front yard.

Immediately I made my wife get on the floor while struggling to find my phone, I then realized it was in another room. We remained on the floor for another twenty minutes between our bed and an interior wall away from windows.

I then got up and peaked (sic) out my bedroom window and could tell that lights were flashing. I then moved out into the living room, checked our alarm and then went back to our bedroom. I spent the rest of night listening to what seemed like every rain drop landing on our roof. Like everyone in our neighborhood, we tried to go back to sleep.

The psychological affects of crime on a neighborhood, regardless of crime statistics, never go away because people never forget. They never forget that one street over a resident in my neighborhood was grazed by (a) bullet that went flying through her house. They never forget that a girl is killed because a gang thought she was getting out of someone else’s car. They never forget that a food delivery person is robbed at gunpoint across from the Doverdale Playground in broad daylight.

Crime is here, crime is real and we need to address it with real solutions, now. Until we realize that we are losing a war, long term, because we fail to address the root causes of crime. It is more than just a city issue because criminals know no boundaries. Everyone must be on board from every level of government regardless of political party, we need to work together and develop solutions now.

Obviously we’re not going to get rid of crime right away, regardless of who’s elected. But, just like the old saw that a liberal who gets mugged becomes a conservative, a victim of crime is that much more likely to be sensitive to the issue.

It’s not about just having more police, stricter judges, or even longer jail terms, though. In fact, there are some aspects of crime which government has little to do with but which can affect change – step one would be getting rid of the thug glamourization mentality permeating our culture. We think it’s cool to be the criminal, never mind that there’s a pretty good chance one’s life is cut short by plying the criminal trade.

Fortunately, our latest exhibit of thug culture didn’t result in anyone being seriously hurt. But that lucky streak can run out at any time.

In other Council news, I was pleased to get this introduction from the newest candidate in the race, Bruce Ford.

I am running for Salisbury City Council because Salisbury is in a crisis and I feel very strongly that Salisbury’s crime, blight and economic concerns are solvable with focused effort and strong leadership.
 
Other communities in our region have faced similar if not worse situations and overcome them using collaborative approaches, drawing on the wisdom of all of the community’s major stakeholders.
 
I was born in Salisbury, raised in Fairmount, and have lived in Salisbury for 13 years.  I have been a career paramedic/firefighter with the Berlin Fire Company for 23 years and a physician’s assistant for 7 years.  I have been married for 13 years.  My four daughters have never known another home than Salisbury.  I work hard to support my family and want to know that they are safe and free to flourish as they grow.
 
My priorities for the city are to:
 
·         reduce crime, slum and blight
·         identify a true community vision
·         position Salisbury as a regional economic hub, providing stable, well-paying jobs for city residents.
 
Please visit www.onesalisbury.org for more detailed information about my vision for the future of Salisbury.

I am Bruce Ford.  Together we can build a city. 

Looks like we now have half the candidates with websites. I’m not sure I buy the concept of “One Salisbury” anymore than I do “One Maryland” but it’s worth seeing what Bruce is about.

So far my poll has interesting (but not completely unexpected) results. Check it out on the sidebar!

Filing deadline looms

Since today was a holiday, tomorrow may be a relatively busy day for City Clerk Brenda Colegrove (or her assistant Kim Nichols, or both.)

Experience tells us that a large percentage of would-be candidates file on the very last day (about 20 percent of those who ran did so for the 2010 primary election) and the recent news that two incumbents, Gary Comegys and Louise Smith, won’t run for City Council again should open up the field to would-be challengers.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the current seven-person field for the March 1 primary swell to ten or eleven since two seats have now opened up. So who would that benefit?

Obviously a larger field will help the lone incumbent, Terry Cohen. It wouldn’t surprise me to see her become the top vote-getter as those who don’t care for her style or voting record split their votes among a larger number of contenders. Others who have name recognition, like previous aspirants Muir Boda and Tim Spies, will also be assisted by a larger field, which may intimidate a number of voters into picking the ones they know.

The other key with a larger field will be getting financial resources to compete. Even those who strive to campaign simply by knocking on the thousands of doors around the district (essentially spending nothing on media) will have to have some funding to purchase literature. Some may request yard signs, and those cost money too. You don’t have to spend the most money, but you need some to be competitive and stand out on a crowded ballot.

On the other hand, if the field stays relatively small and only one or two are eliminated in the primary, that could allow some upsets to occur because most are assured a longer campaign. A lot can happen between now and April 5th, and today’s frontrunner could become tomorrow’s alsoran with a verbal gaffe or embarrassing incident from the past revisited.

But my prediction is that we will see a nine- or ten-person scrum as two or three file tomorrow. I don’t have any sort of insight on who these people would be except that I will not be one since I don’t meet the residency requirement. But we could see a couple of former players jump back in or maybe some exciting newcomers will take their shot.

The campaign will roar to life once the close of business arrives tomorrow. It should be fun.

Smith out, two newcomers in for Salisbury City Council election

Not only will Salisbury City Council have at least one opening for this election, but there will be a new president as well.

According to a published report, at a news conference earlier today Louise Smith declared she wouldn’t seek re-election to the Council seat she won last time around, in 2007. Add in the health issues Council vice-president Gary Comegys is facing, and it’s possible we could have a clean sweep in both Council leadership and a partial removal of a three-vote bloc which has at times stymied Mayor Jim Ireton and promoted what some consider a remnant ‘good old boy’ network dating back to the days of former Mayor Barrie Tilghman.

However, two new filees assured that city voters will eliminate at least one contender on March 1st. Orville Dryden Jr. and Michael Taylor have both placed their name on the ballot and join a significantly more crowded field as the filing deadline looms next week. With seven now signed up, the primary will be necessary to whittle the field to six contenders for the April 5th general election.

Beginning next week I’ll put together a short set of questions for each candidate to answer – for the first time in six years I’ll have a say in the proceedings. Better to be an informed voter.

Cohen to file for Salisbury post

It’s not a particular surprise, but today the first of a possible three candidates to run for re-election to Salisbury City Council will file her papers.

Citing the “special significance” of the date (it was the date of her father’s 2006 passing), Cohen spoke about her roots in the city but concluded with a forward-looking statement:

Even with the problems and challenges it faces today, Salisbury still has incredible potential – the kind worth the long, late hours and dedication I’ve given it for nearly four years.  It’s a labor of love – I do it for my children, for families of all kinds and sizes, for the hard workers like my parents were, for the wise seniors they grew to be, for the young adults yearning to discover their own opportunities.

I can’t think of a better day to renew my commitment to making Salisbury the best it can and should be than the birthday of my father, who in partnership with my mother, moved our family from a big city halfway across the country to a relatively small but growing town and achieved a richness in quality of life that everyone should be blessed to have.

Cohen becomes the first incumbent to join the field which now includes challengers Muir Boda, Joel Dixon, Laura Mitchell, and Tim Spies. Her campaign website will again be www.terrycohen.com and it will become active later this week.

In other candidate news, fellow candidate Laura Mitchell holds a candidate meet-and-greet tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Flavors Restaurant on Main Street downtown.

The filing deadline for prospective candidates is January 18th. Assuming more than six candidates file for the election, the primary will be March 1st.

A name recognition leader

Two years ago, Muir Boda ran for a Salisbury City Council seat and lost to a fairly popular incumbent, Debbie Campbell. As I wrote back then on the race:

The only race between two good candidates is in District 2. Both of them promise to be good stewards of taxpayer money, and either would be a great City Councilman. It would actually be somewhat of a nice scenario to have Comegys elected Mayor and allow the loser of this race to be selected to fill the vacated District 2 seat.

Well, as we all know Gary Comegys didn’t win the mayoral seat so my District 2 wish didn’t play out. However, Boda is back to try again (as is an unsuccessful Council candidate from 2007, Tim Spies) and it appears that thus far the Libertarian stalwart is making the biggest splash in the race. This is especially true since he’s the subject of an article by Sarah Lake in today’s Daily Times.

While Lake’s article, apparently gleaned from an interview with the candidate, is relatively straightforward, I would take a little exception to the headline – obviously his former platform wasn’t popular enough to sway more than about 1/3 of the voters to his side. Of course, if you figure Boda survives the March 1 primary and goes on to the six-way race for three Council posts on April 5th I’m sure he’d (figuratively, of course) kill for a 1/3 share of the vote there. And if you read a little closer, there’s little to dislike about Muir’s stances on the issues. Making the city more business-friendly by streamlining the job creation process is sorely needed.

Yet even moreso than those candidates who are already serving – as of this writing, I’m not aware that any of them desire re-election but they have until January 18 to make their intentions known – Boda is the subject of spirited debate among those who write the local blogs. One political gadfly, who also castigated the fact the candidate works as a manager for Wal-Mart, has even darkly intoned that Muir Boda is a Muslim name in his vain search for relevency.

Depending on which current candidates (if any) decide to try for another term, it appears that the battle lines will be drawn among the main contenders by those of us who write on local politics as they were the last time we had a similar election in 2007. More than ever, it will be up to the voting public to determine what the truth really is and the best way to do it is get the story from the horse’s mouth. Once campaign season arrives there should be plenty of opportunities to interact with candidates, and it’s up to voters to arm themselves with the facts.

Let’s make an informed decision.

Boda announces another Salisbury run

Two years ago, Muir Boda faced off against Debbie Campbell in a two-way District 2 race and lost by a 65-35 margin. But I was impressed by the Libertarian afterward and hoped he’d consider a 2011 run – well, it looks like he’s in.

Via the Maryland Libertarians site (and his new campaign site):

The City of Salisbury stands at a crossroads in her rich and storied history. There are tough choices that lie ahead and they need to be made now. Continually putting off issues has brought us to this point, where gangs are controlling our streets, businesses refuse to come to Salisbury and personality issues hang over us like a dark cloud.

On one hand we can continue down the path we have been steadily going for years. Economic stagnation, rising crime rates, gang problems and an assault on property rights which is fueled by name calling, personal vendettas and an outright refusal of elected officials willing to address the issues that this city faces. We have alienated the business community, neighborhoods and our law enforcement community. Leadership and responsibility have been sucked up into the black hole of gridlock, making our government ineffective on major issues.

On the other hand we have a choice of electing leaders who are willing to put aside personal differences and egos to help move our city forward. We need leaders to reach out to our disenfranchised neighborhoods, embrace our business community and encourage everyone to join together and resist the gang violence and crime that is destroying our city.

I believe a three pronged approach to reducing crime is needed from a City standpoint. Strengthening economic opportunity, providing law enforcement with the tools they need to succeed and challenging our faith based community to step up and support our civic organizations in reaching out to those who need and are crying for help. All of these are intertwined and cannot fully succeed without the other.

The economic situation we face is dire and we need to make changes now. We need to create an environment that is conducive to business and it begins with a welcoming attitude. We need to approach our business community with an attitude of – what can we do for you? One way I believe we can help businesses, is by creating a streamlined process into one office for purposes of doing business in the city. This will reduce confusion and set clear expectations and fix a process that currently drives business away.

There are many more issues that we face and I believe they should be approached with common sense, integrity and a servant’s heart. Public servants are just that, servants. Not Lords or masters, they are here to serve the citizens, taxpayers and all who enter into our boundaries for peaceful purposes.

We have much work to do and I believe it is our duty to pass on this great city better than we received her. We are obligated to make her stronger, safer and more beautiful for the generations to come after us. Leaving her deep in debt, rundown from violence and with less opportunity is not only wrong but I believe immoral.

Join me as we work to restore dignity and pride in Salisbury. We must return civility to our debates and respect to the council chamber. That is where we must begin, that is where I intend to begin.

This should be an interesting race for Boda because the dynamics are completely different. In 2009 he was running against a popular incumbent in a vast district. (District 2 actually comprises roughly 80% of Salisbury since District 1 is drawn as a single-Councilperson, majority-minority district. The other four Council members all represent District 2. Yes, I shook my head too.)

But this time we’ll have a 8- or 10-candidate scrum, with the top 6 from the March 1 primary advancing to a general election on April 5. The top three vote-getters will be sworn in later in April.

While none of the three incumbents have announced their intentions yet, it’s presumed that Terry Cohen will seek re-election. At one point, I believed Louise Smith was planning on just one term but she may have changed her mind since; meanwhile, Gary Comegys has missed some time over the last year with a serious illness so he may opt not to run again.

Having just concluded one election cycle four weeks ago, there could be a little bit of burnout from the turnaround. But for Salisbury voters this will be the last time for the foreseeable future we’ll have to deal with local elections right after state elections – terms for the 2011 winners don’t expire until November 2015. 2013 will be the last spring election.

So Muir Boda will be out in familiar territory once again. It’s beginning to look a lot like a campaign.