Second C of C forum…well, it was different than the first

New moderator, new cast of characters, new questions – it was an interesting mix at the second of two PACE/Chamber of Commerce Salisbury City Council forum kicked off at noontime yesterday to a cast of onlookers which included the Daily Times, WMDT-TV, and two bloggers (although the other just took pictures.) The four gentlemen in the hot seat this time were Muir Boda, Joel Dixon, Tim Spies, and Michael Taylor.

Matt Creamer, who was supposed to moderate last week until he fell ill, did the honors this time after thanking Mike Weisner for handling part 1.

After each candidate had five minutes to deliver an opening statement, the questions dealt with health insurance for City Council members, the prospect of user fees for stormwater expenses, fire calls, non-resident accidents, and the like, afterschool programs, nonconforming uses, and a quick closing question on whether there should be a skateboard park in City Park along North Park Drive.

As I did last week I’ll go through each candidate in turn, with Michael Taylor drawing the first slot.

Taylor literally came from work to play his part; his task today was helping to set up the Civic Center for tonight’s Fernando Guerrero fight. He works for Wicomico County, but ran for Council to “help the city of Salisbury the best I can.” One piece of his past he pointed to in his opening statement was a background in construction.

Since Michael was brief in his opening statement and had allotted time remaining, Matt Creamer opened the forum to questions specifically for Taylor. I asked, given his construction background, whether he had any insight into improving business and development. Permitting and licensing could be “more user friendly…(it was) very, very difficult” to secure permits. However, Michael’s experience was that Salisbury wasn’t much different than other cities for permitting. (Perhaps this “streamlining” could be something we can take advantage of.)

Taylor “would say no” to part-time Council members getting health insurance paid for. He’d also say no to user fees unless they were “necessary, fair, and equitable.”

Michael informed the questioner regarding afterschool programs that the county already performs these tasks. “Having somewhere for kids to go is paramount.”

To Taylor, the mayor’s neighborhood housing initiative was “essentially killing an industry.” Instead, each of the seven parts should be passed on its own merits after some necessary “tweaking.” He added, in response to another audience question directed specifically at him, that we need a “balance” of places to live because many in the working class lack their own transportation, thus they live close to work in the city.

Finally, Taylor agreed the need is there for a new skate park, and the county’s parks and recreation department is looking into suitable venues for one.

Following Taylor in his opening statement was Muir Boda. Boda went over his background and work experience in his opening statement, pointing out that 1/3 to 1/2 of his current job deals with criminal activity. But he was running because “I love the city of Salisbury.”

“We all get frustrated with the political environment,” continued Muir, who called on the process to be “inclusive, not exclusive.” He applauded the current Council’s decision to spread out capacity fees over 24 months as “a wise decision,” and saying people affected by City Council “need to be part of the process.” He wrapped up the statement (and his time) by challenging the faith-based community to step up.

He agreed that City Council members don’t need to have their health insurance paid for, and while we could pick through the budget to question specific items from the past (as Tim Spies did in answering before him) the Council should have benefits similar to those of other part-time positions in the city.

Boda believed we could look into a stormwater fee, but the fire department could benefit from a system similar to Worcester County’s. There each department gets a base contribution but additional funding depends on the number of calls serviced. Muir also thought it time to take a fresh look at the tax differential.

Muir was familiar with some youth programs through his church, which served as a mentorship to WiHi. Government could create the environment but needed to identify partners to lend a helping hand.

The neighborhood housing initiative was an example of legislation crafted without input, Boda believed. He also opined that Salisbury was using the wrong comparison models – instead of Dover and Annapolis, he thought better comparisons would be Morgantown, West Virginia and Blacksburg, Virginia – towns which house West Virginia University and Virginia Tech, respectively. They have relatively similar renter to homeowner ratios as Salisbury’s.

Boda would only support a skate park if the residents wanted it.

Tim Spies described his experiences in the Navy and with returning to the Eastern Shore after his military service. In the early ’90’s he bought a house he described as a “fixer upper” and eventually he became involved with the Camden Neighborhood Association. He’s contributed “ideas, time, and energy” to the city since.

Crime was at the “forefront” of issues and the crime rate was “rather embarassing,” but “employers are what we need here.” And while crime was down 11 percent, as a questioner claimed, it’s gone up “400 percent” since he came to the city.

In responding to the question about health insurance for City Council members, Spies pointed out previous foibles like the acquisition of the Cypress Street property for the new Station 16 for $660,000 shortly after a previous owner bought the property for $175,000. “The foolish spending has to stop,” said Spies, but “$10,000 (to cover health insurance for Council members) is paper clip money.”

“I think you need more incentive (to run) than a $10,000 salary,” said Tim.

But when it came to a response fee for those from out of town who were unfortunate enough to cause an accident, Spies borrowed a familiar phrase. “You betcha,” he said. In addition, a stormwater fee wasn’t a bad idea but it had to be “scientific,” based on the total property area and impervious surface. “There is money to be generated,” he said.

Spies also reflected on his previous experience running the “Weed and Seed” program in answering the afterschool activity question. “We can’t have enough afterschool programs,” Spies enthused. He added that faith-based organizations have their place too.

The “seventh and most deadly” part of the neighborhood housing initiative turns out to be the nonconforming use provision. Spies doesn’t support it “to this point.” Compromise with the housing industry on that portion and get the other six parts rolling, pleaded Spies.

And build the skate park – just not in a dense residential district, concluded Tim.

Our final contestant in opening statement order was Joel Dixon. He drew the last position in his first public campaign event.

In his opening statement he passed around a prop – a chart from the Salisbury Police Department showing a 29.4% drop in Part One crimes vs. the total one year ago. It’s a “good step in the right direction,” said Dixon, a firefighter by trade who works in Anne Arundel County and volunteers here on his off days. He’s a volunteer lieutenant at the aforementioned Station 16.

He jumped into the race as a victim of crime. “I didn’t want to sit back and complain about it,” said Dixon. He also felt that his age (25) brought a different perspective than the others would have.

Since he also came in under the five-minute wire in his opening, Joel got the opportunity to confess his ignorance about a nearby community center in his first answer. But he promised to look into what was offered there.

On several of his answers, Joel came across as a fiscal conservative. For example, paid health benefits for City Council members would be “a good tool” but right now wasn’t the time for that.

“I don’t think I could support any new fees at this time” was his succinct answer to the fee question, although he conceded Anne Arundel County is implementing accident fees similar to what the questioner proposed.

Community-based and citizen-based afterschool programs could create the proper atmosphere for youth, Dixon argued. He also opined on the Neighborhood Housing Initiative question that there was no plan for relocating those affected and asked if they could afford the newly created single-family units.

In his final answer, Dixon echoed Muir Boda (who answered first) in leaving the question up to those affected. Joel’s answers were usually the most brief but generally conveyed the points he wanted to make adequately. (This also tended to be true in his responses to my questions.)

Upcoming forums include the AFP effort at Brew River next Wednesday and the NAACP forum at the St. James AME Zion Church the next night.

Boda surges to lead in new Salisbury Council poll

Well, the results are in from my second Salisbury City Council poll, and the winner is… my advertising fund. Well, how else would one explain Muir Boda moving from a tie for third in the first poll from late January to first place this time? At today’s Chamber forum Boda confided he had seen a good amount of traffic to his website from here. (That’s called a hint. I don’t guarantee any of the other seven would have the same result, but there is an ‘ads’ tab above.)

In truth, the poll showed essentially the same contenders as before, although instead of what looked like a four-person race it’s now perhaps five as Joel Dixon made a solid upward move to close the gap on the frontrunners. Conversely, the one who may need to worry most based on results would be Orville Dryden. His good first impression may be fading, although he still looks primed to survive the March 1st primary. And the survivor out of the bottom three (Ford, Mitchell, Taylor) has a steep uphill climb to make in the final five weeks if this poll is any indication of eventual results.

This poll was a somewhat shorter effort than the last one but there were still 162 votes cast. The order of finish is listed here, with the previous poll finish, percentage and percentage change from the initial poll following:

  1. (3 – tie) Muir Boda – 37 votes (22.84% – up 4.37%)
  2. (3 – tie)Terry Cohen – 33 votes (20.37% – up 1.9%)
  3. (1) Tim Spies – 30 votes (18.52% – down 0.76%)
  4. (2) Orville Dryden – 25 votes (15.43% – down 3.45%)
  5. (5) Joel Dixon – 20 votes (12.35% – up 2.71%)
  6. (6) Bruce Ford – 6 votes (3.7% – down 3.13%)
  7. (8) Laura Mitchell – 6 votes (3.7% – down 0.32%)
  8. (7) Michael Taylor – 5 votes (3.09% – down 1.33%)

A few other notes of interest:

As you’ll see in my rundown of today’s Chamber forum tomorrow, the format and questioning were very different from the initial effort last week. It’s possible that, with two remaining forums next week (AFP and NAACP) the finished product between the two for PAC-14 may not be aired until after the primary and edited to cut out the two bottom finishers. It was hoped, though, that the editing would be done for Tuesday.

I finally caught up to Michael Taylor today and he apologized for not answering my questions. I may do an audio interview (you could call it a podcast) with him early next week. However, it probably won’t take the exact same form as the questioning I gave the other seven. He may remain the lone candidate in the race without a website or Facebook page, though.

Having the split forum before the poll hurt most of the candidates who participated in round 1 – only Terry Cohen increased her percentage from the last poll. Meanwhile, my top gainers were two who participated today.

I’m working on enhancing the poll and broadening its scope for the final effort before the primary. Stay tuned to see if my effort bears fruit.

Questioning the Salisbury City Council candidates – part 4

The last part of the four; here are Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 if you want to catch up. To wrap this we talk about the nuts and bolts of city finance then the candidates make their closing arguments.

The city seems to depend a great deal on help from the federal and state levels to pay its bills – for example, we always seem to be on the hunt for grant money to address some issue, such as the recently-purchased fire boat. Do you think there is a way to wean ourselves off this dependence on state and federal dollars (which are in short supply) and is there some other method of financing we could explore?

Boda: Grants are not something we should be depending on for our day to day expenses.  It is not free money. Private, non-government grants I feel are more fiscally responsible for certain projects, such as for the Zoo, Dog Park, Skate Parks, etc.  

The city government should be focusing on maintaining our basic services as efficient and cost effective as possible. Often times we need new ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, dump trucks and other day to day items our city employees need to carry out their duties.  

I do feel the acquisition of the new Fire Boat is one that should have been looked into more.  We were recommended this particular boat because the Coast Guard wanted one with it’s capabilities in this region. Certainly there is a boat with the capabilities that we require that could have cost us less.  

I certainly respect the fact that we are the second busiest port in Maryland and there are tremendous amounts of fuel that move up and down the Wicomico River.  I trust the fact that we need a new boat with better capabilities than what we have now.  However, the boat that is currently being purchased would be better suited for Crisfield or Ocean City, not Salisbury.

Ford: First, let’s delineate between “bills” and “one-time purchases.”  Bills to me are the expenses related to operating the city; salaries, benefits, daily operations, utilities, etc.  I feel strongly that true bills should be paid for by steady, dependable revenue sources.  

However projects like the fire boat are not in my mind “bills.”  These are purchases that would not be purchased at all without the granted money.  Granted projects enhance safety, infrastructure and quality of life by addressing needs far beyond the city’s financial capacity.

My second thought is that federal and state aid is in fact our own tax dollars returning to us, so we should continue to aggressively seek grants lest other communities get them instead.  We paid the taxes, we should receive the grants.

With that said, free money is not free money.  When seeking granted money, we should always address our highest priorities first as identified by the community vision. 

While I am a career Paramedic/Firefighter in Berlin, I actually do not participate in the Salisbury Fire Department’s operations or administration.  Salisbury Fire Department is a combination career and volunteer department which makes it complicated to judge how grant monies are applied to specific projects.  For example, many fire companies across the Lower Shore have received Homeland Security or FEMA grants for specific one-time equipment requests, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Without these grants, many communities would lack modern fire and rescue equipment. 

Beyond what I have read in the media, I am not familiar with the project proposal for the Salisbury Fire Boat.  I know that other jurisdictions use fire boats for fire suppression of other vessels in harbor and at sea, for fire suppression in buildings near or on the water, and for search and rescue missions.  Salisbury is Maryland’s second busiest commercial port and enjoys heavy barge traffic including petroleum barges.  A fire on a floating petroleum barge could present an incredible hazard to a large portion of the city.  A fire boat would allow for fire suppression before the barge reached land. 

With that said, I feel that grant money in general should be used either for one-time expenses (the purchase of a specific piece of equipment) or to start a project that will sustain itself through other sources of revenue (creating a promenade around the waterfront which would attract taxpaying businesses.)  Depending on grants from year to year to pay for “bills” is fraught with peril. 

I would also ask any recipient of grant money to spend that money as if they had earned it through sweat and labor.  Grant money is too often taken for granted.

Mitchell: State and Federal grant money is a return of our citizens’ tax dollars to their community on a competitive basis. I do not feel that we could or should eliminate grant funding, as we are reclaiming our State and Federal tax dollars to put them to work for us in our community. The caveat there is that we must ensure that we are not dependent upon that funding for normal operating or capital improvement expenses. We must make sure that we are consistently funding routine maintenance and growth from local funding sources. That means that we must be diligent in reducing expenses not only to match revenue, but below our expected revenue levels. The annual difference should be added to a “rainy day fund” for emergencies and to level out the economic peaks and valleys we invariably experience in our economy.

Ideally, I prefer a codified requirement that a percentage (at least 2%) of all General Fund revenues be committed to the contingency fund in years where revenue exceeds the previous year’s revenue by 4% or more. Further, that a percentage (not more than 3% annually) be withdrawn from the fund to be added to the budget in years where revenues are 4% less than in the previous year. This will avoid situations where any sitting Mayor and Council do not use contingency funds, even when they are needed, for fear of political ramifications. Using those funds will help fill in some of the deficits that could cause the delay of routine equipment maintenance, infrastructure preservation, or cuts of critical personnel. Additional debt is undesirable and improbable as we are currently at 67% of our debt threshold, meaning that we cannot borrow much more. Instead we must strive to reduce our debt. One thing that we should pursue more vehemently is payment in lieu of taxes from the County and the State for those properties that are exempt from property tax by virtue of being government owned. That is nearly 6% of our total land area.

Cohen: Early in my council term, I was shocked to learn the City invested no local dollars in our road maintenance program. When our state Highway User Funds were cut last year, we as citizens all got a bigger shock. Steps were taken to cope, so we know we can and must “get weaned” or suffer “cold turkey.”

We can and should continue to “hunt” for grant money, but not for non-necessities like the fire boat that, like some donations (“Bricks,” Linens of the Week), could cost us dearly in the long run. Instead, we should focus on our priorities with a zero-based budget process with the dollars we have, then identify projects with real potential for a return on investment of grant dollars – there’s nothing wrong with getting our share of that pooled taxed money if it is for a community-valued effort.

There is also private foundation money available that could be leveraged for such projects by partnering with non-profit entities. That would help return the city to its municipal mission of providing core services.

Fiscal responsibility in our government has been a primary pursuit of mine on council. We don’t need glitz, our names on a legacy, status symbol pictures on magazines – we need common sense and to do the basics well so that we have a strong foundation upon which a good quality of life can be built.

Spies: Wise local governments use grant funds to improve their infrastructure so that business can be more easily attracted and accommodated; to provide adequate health and sanitation, public safety, and roadway maintenance; to ensure a level of education that can best deliver a ready and able next generation workforce, and; to provide for a continuous enhancement of quality of life of their citizens and marketability of their counties, cities and towns.

Far too many take any money that comes down the pike, regardless of implications for increased responsibility and expense. This is often foolish and self-defeating. Many municipalities have bankrupted themselves by taking on too many responsibilities coming with grants with too few resources to afterwards manage them. The days of accepting grants based on thinking “we have to get it before somebody else does, no matter what it is” and “it’s free money” without determining actual needs and closely weighing future obligations should come to a close here and elsewhere. 

Some solutions to reducing grant dependency, while still maintaining and improving an infrastructure are not attractive: large tax increases; new taxes; a city going into private enterprise’s territories for profit; large fee increases. I don’t recommend any of these.

The only wholly acceptable solution for us is to make Salisbury once again a city home to industry. Real industry, with jobs that pay a living and not just subsistence wage, industry that provides careers and futures. With the increased tax revenue and good wages that industry provides, the needs of our infrastructure and city’s needs can be more easily achieved without the level of dependence on federal and state money that we now have.

Dryden: I think it is more important than ever to work towards needing less State and Federal dollars. Fiscal responsibility is extremely important to me. It was in my career with the federal government as well as my personal finances. I feel that government needs to operate within it means. Consistent management of taxpayer dollars is a top priority.

Dixon: The City of Salisbury does apply for multiple grants that help the City’s various departments with their needs that would otherwise be cut from the budget. I would rather see the City apply for grants then entertain the idea of a possible tax increase. The atmosphere of funding and providing grants comes from the federal and state level and until this attitude is changed on a higher level, our tax money will continued to be used for grants, whether they are needed or not. All citizens pay taxes at a multitude of levels; on the local, state, and federal level, and I would rather recoup the money through grants for local improvements than have the available grants be paid out to another part of the country. However, I would like to see Salisbury eventually become more self-sufficient, although I do not feel that higher taxes are the solution. I feel that all avenues need to be explored to include continuing to cut unnecessary expenses from the budget.

Taylor: No response at this time.

What aspect of your background or experience sets you apart from the competition?

Boda: I believe my experience of working with hundreds of different people and encountering thousands of people over my 18 years at Walmart brings a unique skill set to the Council.  I currently work as an Asset Protection Coordinator which requires management of shrinkage, risk control, OSHA regulations, auditing and a variety of issues that require us to work with law enforcement on a daily basis.  

Our three basic beliefs at Walmart are Respect for the Individual, Service to our Customers and Striving for Excellence are values that I have lived and worked by for the past 18 years.  Those values have served me well in the many experiences I have gone through in the many positions I have held there.

I was the Tire and Lube Express Manager in very busy and very diverse automotive center at Sterling, VA Walmart.  I had individuals from Somalia, Jordan, Iran, Israel, India, Pakistan, and Latin America working for me.  The biggest issue was the different religions working together, there were Christians, Muslims, Jews, Singhs, and Hindus all working together. It was a very contentious work environment to say the least.  

Using the Three Basic Beliefs and focusing on Respect for the Individual, we were able to put aside our differences, focus on the task and job at hand and develop some very strong friendships.  When the most difficult part of your job in that environment is ordering pizza, we realized we can accomplish anything.

Ford: I want the voters to know this; this is not a win-at-all-costs election for me.  I have a wife of 13 years and four daughters that I have to look in the eye when this election is over.  For this reason, I have not accepted campaign contributions from any special or vested interests and I will continue to answer questions openly and frankly.  I don’t expect everyone to agree with all of my feelings and ideas but I do want to emphasize that I will vote in the best interest of the citizens of Salisbury and not in the best interest of any special interest group.  I will give my full effort to the City if elected, but I want the voters to know that I am not willing to compromise my principles to win this seat.

I am running for City Council because I truly care about the future of the city that my family calls home.  A couple months ago, my daughter left me a drawing of some buildings with the words, “Together We Can Build a City.”  It was such a simple idea, but it got me thinking…what if Salisbury created a vision and community roadmap?  It’s been done before, here and in other communities, but those plans get dusty and forgotten.  I want to see the community create a vibrant, living vision that guides the most active citizens of the city to work in the same direction and I will fight to keep that vision in the forefront of Salisbury civic efforts for many years to come.

Together we can build one Salisbury.

Mitchell: I have a wide variety of work experiences including waiting tables, retail sales and management, municipal accounting software training, and adult education. I have undergraduate degrees in accounting and business management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and I am a C.P.A. exam candidate, which I plan to complete in 2011. Perhaps the thing that sets me apart is that I have governmental accounting experience. As a municipal Finance Officer, I was responsible for the preparation of the budget from creation to presentation to the Mayor and Council, as well as day to day administration and compliance after adoption. I believe that gives me unique insight into municipal financial operations which could be useful in identifying ways that the City of Salisbury can maximize the return on each taxpayer dollar.

Finally, I am open to hearing, not just voters, but all stakeholders in the community to find the answers we need to diminish our crime, retain existing and attract new businesses, improve our infrastructure, and restore our sense of community. I believe that, collectively, our community has the solutions to many of our problems but we must be able to bring those stakeholders together to have civil conversations to identify and implement those solutions. I have already begun to establish the lines of communication with each of the candidates by initiating meetings to discuss our motivations and aspirations. I am also doing riding tours of Salisbury with various stakeholders and community leaders asking them to “Show me YOUR Salisbury”, so that I may see the issues from their perspective. This process continues to be very enlightening.

Cohen: Given that I am answering this just a couple of weeks past the filing deadline and we are all just getting to know what the candidates offer, I’ll leave the comparison making to the voters. However, aside from the obvious fact that, as an incumbent, I have direct experience the other candidates do not have, I offer the following for consideration.
Long before I even thought of running for council the first time, I was involved with legislative issues and visibly speaking up for people, both locally and throughout Maryland. I have a valuable combination of experience in government, business and nonprofit sectors, so that broad background gives me a good sense of the “big picture,” in addition to my reputation for paying attention to important details.

As a small business owner, I know the agony of a contract opportunity going to India and the joy of success in seeing a software program or a training session help a company, agency or military installation work more productively. My prior work with Fortune 500 companies and other large corporations in developing profitability through customer service technology increased my analytical skills and experience for application to what I do on council. Having worked with thousands of diverse people in the workforce gives me an incredible perspective on a variety of problems and solutions.

With policy-making experience before I even came to council, I understand why we must be diligent about precision in law making. When a missing comma can lose you a case in court, you not only don’t progress toward a goal, taxpayer money is lost.

Mine is a proven track record of common sense, fiscal responsibility and a focus on the citizens’ priorities, not those of special interests. After four years of some successes and of mitigating some damage, I hope to accomplish more in the next term in a council committed to getting the people’s work done, in an open environment that will exercise my versatile experience and organizational skills on behalf of the citizens we serve.

Spies: I have managed over a thousand people under some of the most stressful circumstances imaginable, moving them from a domestic peacetime to a foreign combat zone environment and back again. My performance was such that I was chosen to lead again and again by my peers and superiors.

I have been successfully responsible for the management of several public fund budgets, ranging from $1.2 million to $9 million.

I have been very active in Salisbury community affairs for over a decade, including those dealing with crime and law enforcement, city-university relations, city improvement, neighborhood advocacy, and health and welfare, among others.

I listen to people when they speak, and ask questions when I don’t have the full picture. I make my own decisions only after adequate information gathering and deliberation, and encourage others to do the same. I read, research, investigate. I look for answers, both inside and outside the box. I try to make things work as well as they possibly can. And along the way, I respect the thoughts and input of others and expect that they will return the courtesy.

Dryden: I feel that my over 40 years of experience in working with the public, handling budgets and managing revenue will benefit me as a council member. I further believe that my common sense approach to problem solving will appeal to the voters. I am not a person that is going to lie to you and say that I know every answer to every issue that the City of Salisbury currently has or ever will have. I am willing to listen, work hard and keep an open mind if you choose to elect me to City Council. It is my hope that by electing someone who is not a “politician” we can begin a new era that brings integrity, respect and prosperity back to the city of Salisbury.

Dixon: I feel my age sets me apart from the other candidates running for Salisbury City Council. I believe my age allows me to have a different perspective and present a different point of view, while representing a different part of Salisbury.

Taylor: No response at this time.

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In closing, I’d like to thank the seven candidates who participated in this question-and-answer session, and I’d like to thank you, the reader, for taking the time to be more informed. When I said 10,000 word post at the start I wasn’t kidding since the actual total is somewhere north of that.

We have critical choices to make on March 1, in order to weed two candidates out of the process, and April 5 to select the final three. I was made aware after a previous installment that the Chamber of Commerce forum is actually in two parts, so an updated forum list is here:

  • Friday, February 11, noon, Chamber of Commerce (144 E. Main Street) – 4 of 8 candidates are invited.
  • Friday, February 11, 6:30 p.m., Mallard Landing (1107 S. Schumaker Drive) – Laura Mitchell and Bruce Ford.
  • Wednesday, February 16, 6:30 p.m., Mallard Landing (1107 S. Schumaker Drive) – Terry Cohen and Tim Spies.
  • Friday, February 18, noon, Chamber of Commerce (144 E. Main Street) – remaining 4 of 8 candidates will be invited.
  • Wednesday, February 23, 7 p.m. at Brew River (502 W. Main Street) – the local Americans for Prosperity chapter is host, all 8 candidates are invited.
  • Thursday, February 24, 7 p.m. at the St. James AME Zion Church, 521 Mack Avenue – the NAACP invited all eight candidates.

Last night Muir Boda and Orville Dryden, Jr. participated in the first Mallard Landing session.

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.

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.

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.