"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Mr. Pollitt, I am a county employee and wish to ask about the Christmas holiday. I have not seen it mentioned yet, but I am assuming that since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year that the county will observe the holiday on Monday the 26th.It is my understanding that any employee working on Monday 12/26 will be paid time and 1/2 as it is considered working on a holiday. My question is that I am scheduled to work on Sunday 12/25 (Christmas day) and have been told we will be paid straight time since the county is observing the holiday on Monday (a non-work day for me). It does not seem right that someone working on the actual day would not be paid holiday pay. Is this information correct and if so, why are the employees working on an actual holiday being paid less? Thank you for checking into this.

RESPONSE

Thank you very much for using "Ask Rick." When major holiday falls on a Sunday and is observed on the next day, Monday; it can create confusion for those who are regularly scheduled to work on Sundays. The Wicomico County Personnel Manual provides for this situation in the following manner:

The Wicomico County Council approves the holiday schedule and the days deemed and treated as holidays. The Council adopted through resolution that December 26, 2011 will be the observed as the Christmas Day holiday, not the actual day, December 25, 2011. The Personnel Manual (1503c) states, "If a legal holiday falls on Sunday, the immediately following Monday shall normally be deemed and treated as a holiday." So, employees who work at least four (4) hours on Christmas, New Year?s (the scheduled dates as determined by resolution of the county council) will be paid time and a half plus allowed the option to take the holiday, or the portion of hours worked, at a later date if the employee works on the day observed (or celebrated) by the County, which is Monday, December 26, 2011 and Monday, January 2, 2012.

Here is the 2011 holiday schedule:

2011 Holiday Schedule

The following are the holidays to be observed by City of Salisbury and Wicomico County Employees:

New Year's Day Holiday Friday, December 31st

Martin Luther King Day Monday, January 17th

President's Day Monday, February 21st Good Friday Friday, April 22nd

Memorial Day Monday, May 30th

Independence Day Monday, July 4th

Labor Day Monday, September 5th

Veteran's Day Friday, November 11th

Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24th

Christmas Day Observed Monday, December 26th

In accordance with Leave and Holiday Benefits, if a legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday immediately proceeding shall normally be deemed and treated as a holiday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the immediate following Monday shall normally be deemed and treated as a holiday.

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Hi Rick, I am a citizen of Wicomico County and recently I got a computer problem. I took it to Brainwave and Geek Squad and they wanted lots of money to fix it. I know the county has a computer department and it would be a good way to raise money for the county if you had them fix citizen?s computers. They could charge less than the other places and could use the money for county purposes and maybe even give discounts to other employees. Most problems are usually viruses and stuff so it shouldn?t take too long to clean it up. Thanks.

RESPONSE

I shared your message with our director of Information Technology and he was very pleased with your confidence in his department?s competence. While your suggestion is understandable and appreciated, there is one significant reason why it wouldn?t be advisable.

The county's "computer department" exists to keep the county?s technological equipment functioning to help us perform our services efficiently. To broaden our clientele to include services to the general public would violate the purposes of local government and put us into direct competition with private business. I expect that would quickly cause apoplexy within our local Chamber of Commerce, and rightly so. As much as I would like to be helpful, to take tax dollars paid by private industry to set up shop to take business from them would not go over well and really is not the proper role of government.

Thank you for using "Ask Rick." I appreciate novel suggestions and I hope you find a dependable resource for your computer needs.

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

The economic times have made us all examine ways we can cut back. Why do we continue to allow law enforcement to drive their county vehicles to and from work? This also includes off duty officers riding around with their family's grocery shopping or doing routine errands. I would rather see this money going towards the education of our children. Will the County Council work hard this coming year to make the BOE a priority? Thank You

RESPONSE

Regarding the use of county vehicles by law enforcement, I asked Sheriff Mike Lewis to respond since this is his direct responsibility. His comments follow and I think they make a lot of sense. As for the County Council making the B.O.E. a priority, their track record in this regard has not been what I had hoped for or expected. What I do hope for is that an engaged and vocal community will demand that the county council be more aggressive in their support for our educational system. I appreciate your note and your concerns.

Sheriff Lewis' Comments on the Benefits of Take-Home Patrol Cars

 "It's been proven many times that the presence of police cars in local neighborhoods helps reduce/suppress criminal activity."  "Police car take-home programs provide increased job satisfaction and quicker response to emergency situations. Personnel responding from their homes instead of reporting to headquarters first can save precious minutes in a crisis situation."  "Most 'shared' police cars are in use 24 hours a day and last for only two or three years. It's a fact that 'take-home' cars last longer thereby reducing vehicle replacement."  "Assigning personal cars to each officer creates a sense of ownership and responsibility. 'Take- home' cars are kept cleaner and maintained better. There is also evidence that they are involved in fewer crashes."  "Deputies driving to and from work in 'take-home' cars are responsible for handling incidents they encounter (robberies, motorist assists) even though they may be in an 'off-duty' capacity."  "Take-home vehicles provide our citizens with more police car coverage on our roads. I suggest that this provides citizens with a greater sense of safety and security." "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

I am a heating and air conditioning contractor who services Wicomico County. I am not originally from this locality and since moving here I have seen simply frightening things. Constant fire and safety hazards from improperly installed HVAC equipment. I have found, in the last few weeks, over two dozen furnaces I had to shut down because of their high levels or inability to properly vent exhaust gases like carbon monoxide. Every other locality I have worked in has strict HVAC codes and inspections to ensure contractors are following proper safety procedures to ensure safe operation of the equipment in a residence. As a trained professional, I see time and time again simple, yet blatant, mistakes that could very well lead to injury, death or property damage. If almost everywhere else in the east coast and beyond feels it necessary to monitor and inspect the installation of fossil fuel burning appliances for code alignment, or gas line modifications, why does Wicomico County not see the need to ensure its residents are receiving properly installed and SAFE work and appliances in their home?

RESPONSE

Responding to a recent citizen suggestion to institute HVAC inspections, both the County Executive's office and the County Council reviewed the situation with the possibility of introducing legislation. The Council asked The Department of Public Works (DPW) to perform an HVAC Permit and Inspection Study which it did with the assistance of the Wicomico County Health Department. The following were among the conclusions:

 The estimated $800 cost would be too burdensome for the average homeowner.  The DPW has received very few complaints about HVAC installation.  The State requires licenses for HVAC installers. Local HVAC contractors submitted that this needs to be enforced more stringently.  The State has a system in place for resolving HVAC installation complaints.

The Council reviewed the requested study and also considered the recommendation of the County Director of Administration to not provide this service. Subsequently, the Council took no action and legislation was not introduced.

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

What is the status of the Westside Collector Road in regards to phase 2 and phase 3? Seems like nothing has been done physically in over a year.

RESPONSE

Thank you for letting us know about this. Our Roads crew has cut the grass and removed the trees from the roadway in the area mentioned. Also, they have trimmed the growth on the sightline at the intersection of Fooks Road and Citation Drive in an effort to improve visibility. We notified Delmarva Power about the street light outage and they responded, "We typically respond to non-hazardous street and area "light out"" calls within five business days of notification. In some instances, the actual repairs may take up to 30 days. Longer repair periods might be due to crews assigned to restore service following major storms, damage to underground wiring, the need to special order parts, or if the entire pole and fixture must be replaced." "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Hi Rick, I left work early today to get our solid waste permit. This way I did not have to use the time and money to make a special trip. Of course, it was about 3 minutes after 4 and the place was locked up tighter than a drum. Their hours are not conducive for those residents in the county who work. Yes, I know that they are open June and July on Saturday mornings but I do hot believe this is serving our residents appropriately. I am not suggesting we spend money we do not have on adding hours. However, you could adjust the hours and here are two ideas I thought of quickly. Take 2 days a week and open later say 10 am and stay open till 6 pm or take 4 hours from another day and add those hours to every Saturday morning. This should not add expense to the county as all you are doing is changing the hours. We are all having to tighten our belts and making a special trip to the office that is only open from 8 to 4 is unfair. Thank you for any assistance.

RESPONSE

Thank you very much for using "Ask Rick." I found your comments to be very wellstated and compelling. Unfortunately, as much as we would like to; we are unable to offer office hours at the Landfill that are convenient to everyone. We are working under unprecedented budgetary and low staffing conditions.

The county experienced a significant staff reduction (44 retirees on July 1, 2011) as a result of a retirement incentive program. Because of this, the Public Works Department had no choice but to stop issuing permits at the Government Office Building. Through various publicity methods, we encouraged landfill permit users to renew by mail. For those who preferred to renew in- person, we provided extra hours to obtain trash permits at the Landfill by opening on Saturdays in July and August. Most users have renewed by now (August 11th).

Concerning your suggestion to adjust the hours at the Landfill, I discussed this with the Director of Public Works and learned that this would not work for the following reasons:

 The public is accustomed to the Landfill being open at 8:00 A.M. on all days of operation.  Crew work schedules require an 8:00 A.M. opening time.  If hours were extended to 5:00 P.M., the Landfill would have to close for an hour at noon.  Waste Haulers arrive at the Landfill at 7:00 A.M. (starting time for the workers) and we must be ready to serve them.

Consideration was given to extending the Landfill office hours Monday-through-Friday but the additional overtime for the office staff and supervisory staff was determined to be too expensive. To somewhat offset this, the office is always open for customers during the normal lunch hour. Again, I hope your inconvenience has not been too great and thank you for contacting me. "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT With the economic situation in the country and the county well documented, with the advent of pay cuts and furloughs why would the county decide that a top priority is the placement of a designer fence at the "dump"? Would a chain link fence have been less expensive? Why the beautification? It's the "dump"? This make no sense on any level. There was no other priorities?

RESPONSE

Thank you for contacting me on "Ask Rick" on the county website. I took your question to Mark Whitelock, the Acting Superintendent of the Solid Waste and Recycling Division. I found his response to be informative and appropriate? "The old fence that was in place was in bad shape and had security issues that made it inefficient. The new fence was actually less expensive and much more secure. Solid waste being an enterprise fund draws no money from the county tax base and operates from revenues generated from user fees at the scales and household permits. Our goal is to operate the landfill in a manner that reflects Wicomico County as a great place to live and raise a family. Lastly I would say this and it is my belief that it is a landfill but does not have to look like a dump."

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Dear Rick: As a recipient of Meals on Wheels I am begging you and the Council not to cut funding for this all-important program. It's not only the nutritious meals we receive, it's the human contact with the person delivering the meals! Can't you and the Council find someplace else to cut the budget!

RESPONSE

You're singing to the choir. Not only have I been a consistent supporter of Meals on Wheels, I actually increased their budget this year. Over the past few years when we have had to cut back in nearly every category, Meals on Wheels, along with our volunteer fire and ambulance companies, are the only areas I have not cut funding for in my budgets. I understand the county council is considering cutting my proposal for more money for Meals on Wheels and I sincerely hope that doesn't happen. Thanks very much for sharing your views.

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

What is the county's policy on using the county's computers?

RESPONSE

In general, county computers are for county business only. Our current policy was written in 2002. We are currently in the process of developing a revised policy that is more reflective of the current state of electronic communications. "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Comcast recently modified digital channels which rendered most digital TVs useless. Comcast did provide up to 2 boxes at no cost, now anyone with more than 2 TVs has to rent additional boxes at approximately $2 each. Why has Comcast not provided boxes to allow paying customers to continue to watch cable on all their TVs? Why only 2 boxes? You have to ask Comcast what the average number of TVs is within a household and why they decided to discontinue service to some. Sounds like an unapproved rate increase to me. Anything you can do will be appreciated.

RESPONSE

You are correct that Comcast will provide the first two digital boxes free and that additional boxes are approximately $2 each. I understand that you can pick up the boxes at the Comcast office on Hobbs Road across from Perdue Stadium or call for a service installation appointment. The local number is 410- 749-1555. To further answer your questions, I am reprinting a part of a recent letter from a Comcast official. Thanks for using "Ask Rick."

"Comcast is digitizing its video channels. Last year we converted the channels in our Western Shore Counties to digital. This spring we are converting the channels on the Maryland Eastern shore including Wicomico County. After we convert our signals in Wicomico, all Comcast video services will be transmitted exclusively in digital format. This means that all customers must have either a digital cable box or digital transport adapter (DTA) from Comcast, or a third party device with a CableCARD(TM) for each television on which they wish to continue receiving Comcast video services.

"We are now near the point where we will begin to start a staged transition of our video services to the all digital format.

The following channels converted to digital on or about May 3:

 28 MSNBC

 35 Versus

 38 TNT

 42 Lifetime

 44 Food Network

 45 Bravo

 46 HGTV

 47 E!  50 TLC

 53 Animal Planet

 55 Cartoon Network

 58 AMC

 59 TCM

 69 Hallmark Channel

 72 truTV

 73 Syfy.

The following channels will convert to digital on or about June 7:

 25 Fox News Channel

 26 CNN

 27 CNN Headline News

 29 CNBC

 30 Comcast SportsNet - MD

 31 ESPN

 32 ESPN2

 33 MASN

 34 Golf Channel

 36 Speed

 37 FX

 39 TBS

 40 Spike

 41 USA

 43 A&E

 51 Discovery Channel  52 OWN

 54 Nickelodeon

 56 Disney Channel

 57 ABC Family.

 60 TV Land

 61 MTV

 62 Comedy Central

 63 VH1

 64 History Channel

 70 BET

 71 TV ONE

The following channels will convert to digital on or about July 28:

 02 The Weather Channel99 TV Guide Network."

 03 WMDT -CW

 04 WRC-NBC

 05 WBOC-FOX

 06 WBOC ? CBS

 07 WMDT-ABC

 10 MASN2

 11 WBAL-NBC

 12 QVC

 13 WJZ-CBS

 14 Public Access

 15 WFDC-AN

 17 HSN  22 WCPB-PBS

 94 WBOC-CBS

 95 WTTG-FOX

 96 CSPAN

 98 EWTN

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Each year at the Civic Center we pay our respects to the County's fallen in battle. Yes these troopers have paid the ultimate price. We should never forget them. This year in addition, you can have a few from each war to have the public be aware of who also has given. Some were POWs, Purple Hearts, disabled, PTSD and some were just lucky to make it back home. Some did not get a parade, some were spat on. This will be good on your part, as you represent the County, to honor those of us for our part so others can enjoy the freedom we do have now. Just the name of us and the war we were in, the years there and unit would be sufficient. You can even have us come up so all can see. It's up to you.

RESPONSE

Thanks for contacting me via "Ask Rick." First, I salute you for your service to our country. Second, I immediately made the organizers of the annual Memorial Day observance at the Civic Center aware of your suggestion. They responded quickly and enthusiastically.

The Master of Ceremonies for the Memorial Day event commented: "We do have veterans stand by branch after the Family Tribute. After they stand by branch, we ask them to stand again, this time by the conflict in which they participated.

"The plan is to have each veteran stand and remain by their seat. There is some concern that asking the veterans to come forward and stand for recognition could be very difficult for some and that standing by their seat will be more effective."

I trust that you will be standing proud at the Civic Center on Memorial Day with your comrades.

Rick Pollitt "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

You have proposed a property tax increase in the 2011-2012 budget. Since my property value has decreased by about $100,000 my tax obligation should also decrease under the current tax rate. The proposed increase of 5 cents per assessed value will have me paying what I currently pay now. Yes, it's an increase but it does not appear to be more than I currently pay because my assessed value has decreased. ( Any Thoughts ) I appreciate any insight.

RESPONSE

You are correct. I have proposed increasing the real property tax rate by a nickel in order to counter the falling revenues from lowered property values and to accommodate new State budget impacts. As you noted, you have experienced this first hand in a large way. Property taxes received relate directly to assessed valuation of all the property in the county. It is figured by multiplying the tax rate (currently $0.759) per $100 of assessed valuation of each property. You can find your current tax status and the affect that the nickel increase, if approved, would have on your taxes by visiting the county website at http://www.wicomicocounty.org/ and clicking on "Proposed Tax Rate Comparison Calculator" under "What's New?" on the right hand side of the page.

Concerning your specific situation, you acknowledged that if the tax rate would go up, the amount that you pay in taxes could stay the same. This goes to the heart of what I am trying to do in my budget proposal. My goal is to maintain the already-reduced level of county services without further deterioration. Even so, our local school system will take a new $5 million hit and that is extremely disheartening to anyone who values public education. If the tax rate stays as it is today, the budget for next year will need further cuts of about $ 4.5 million. It is my sincere hope that this will not be necessary.

Thank you for contacting me.

Rick Pollitt "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Why is the ferry closing at 5:30 every day? This does not help anyone trying to use it after work. If cutting back of hours is the problem, I would prefer it be closed all day Sun or even Sat and Sun. This would not help me because I work every other weekend but to close it a 5:30 does not help anyone.

RESPONSE

The ferries have been closing at 5:30 P.M. on the winter schedule since at least 1971. Since that is dusk, safety was the main reason for closing then. Due to deep budget cuts beginning in 2009, caused by sharply declining county revenues, 5:30 P.M. became the "year round" closing time in an effort to save money on overtime expenses. I have heard very few complaints about this schedule but would anticipate quite an outcry from residents and businesses if I closed the ferries on weekends.

Unfortunately, operating and maintaining the ferries grows more costly each year. I have provided funding in my proposed Fiscal Year 2012 budget to keep the ferries open with the current schedule. If the County Council rejects my plan, the ferries will most likely close. "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Is there a property tax relief or discount for senior citizens whose total income doesn't exceed $35000 a year & with a mortgage? I frequent the local library in Salisbury every other week. On each visit the activity within the place is not only vibrant, but many times I have a line of persons in front of me to check out materials. Please continue support for the library. However, I do feel that instead of a new library, money should be spent on materials, mainly books.

RESPONSE

Concerning tax relief, there is a State (not County) credit based on income, and it is handled by the State Assessment Office (SDAT). It is called the Homeowner Credit (not to be confused with the Homestead Credit). Also, some municipalities DO have an age-based credit. Delmar is one of them.

Since this is handled strictly by the State and is subject to State laws on income requirements, the County does not have information on this. I suggest you contact SDAT directly at 410-713-3560 for information on the State homeowner credit. If you live in a municipality, please contact that town or city directly.

Concerning the Wicomico County Free Library, I agree with you that it is very important. Accordingly, I have not cut the county's allocation to the Library for Fiscal Year 2012 despite pressure to reduce spending. I have requested $1 Million for the library just as I did last year. "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Could you give more specifics as to which section of Begaln park rd that has funding for repaving in this year's budget? Maybe even a map with the section highlighted would be great.

RESPONSE

I have attached a map showing the area of Beaglin Park Drive that is in bad shape. It is between Old Ocean City Road and Middle Neck Road This portion has been in use for about ten years. The proposed improvements include installation of a paving fabric and hot mix overlay. The estimated cost is $170,645.

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

I have a neighbor who, on most days has an outdoor fire going. I am not sure if they burn their household garbage each day or what. It has pretty much become a nuisance, where you can't open your windows because of smoke drifting in the house, or every time you step outside the smell of smoke is everywhere. I know being in the county, there is not a burn ban per se, but is there anything that can be done to address the issue? It has almost become so commonplace that when I step outside and don't smell smoke, I am surprised.

RESPONSE

I took this question to the Health Department. This is the reply that was sent directly to the person who contacted me on "Ask Rick."

I received a copy of your e-mail regarding close-by burning. From the description you provided, it sounds like your neighbor is creating a nuisance. Open burning in the county requires that certain conditions be met. For instance, the fire must be at least 200 feet from any dwelling or structure. Also, any fire may not create a nuisance. This includes permitted fires as well. As soon as any fire creates a nuisance, it is required to be extinguished. Once a fire creates a nuisance and is extinguished, it cannot be reignited without written permission from the Health Department and is subject to fines from MDE. If you would like to provide me with more information regarding where the nuisance burning is happening, I would be happy to investigate further and try to get the situation resolved for you.

Thank you for your cooperation and I look forward to hearing from you.

"ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Just saw that Wico Cty will no longer take a check for taxes...are you all crazy or what? I dont have a credit card and am certainly not going to carry around $3000 worth of cash to pay my taxes. We have to pay the bank for a certified or cashier check. Also this has not been well advertised...I would hope with the money that is paid to the public information man, that you do a little better job getting that word out...I have not seen any info of this in the papers or on the local TV news. thank you. RESPONSE

Thank you for contacting me on the "ASK RICK" location on the county website.

Each year, taxpayers have 10 months to pay taxes before payment by certified or bank check is required. Wicomico County will accept a personal check for taxes up to April 30th. After that, because of the tax sale process, we must have payment via certified check, cash, money order or by credit card.

If you recently received a final notice on your property tax bill, you will be able to pay by any of the usual methods until April 30th. On that final notice (always preceded by a delinquent notice), however, the county informs taxpayers that payments made on or after May 1st, must be by certified or bank check. This has been in practice for at least 15 years. This practice is also spelled out in the verbiage on the notice with the annual tax bills sent in July. There is a good reason for this.

In the past, the occasional dishonest person would send a personal check that would bounce. Upon receipt of that check and before it bounced, the county would remove the taxpayer from the tax sale process. Even though the check was returned, the person could not be put back into the process for a year. This caused significant lost revenue to the county and, was, quite frankly, unfair to all the people who paid their taxes in a timely fashion.

I hope this answers your question. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you have more questions on this or any other matter. "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Can you tell me if a full time Deputy Sheriff working from 1958 to 1968 would have had a county retirement plan, and by leaving after 10 years receiving some of it? Thanks RESPONSE According to the County Human Resources Department, members of the Sheriff's Office only became eligible to participate in the County AETNA Pension Plan on July 1, 1979?and it wasn't mandatory; so, some may never have joined or joined late in their careers. While the answer here appears to clearly be "no," you might check with the State of Maryland to see if the individual might somehow qualify in the State pension system for that time. "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Good evening, Mr. Pollitt. My family has recently arrived in Delaware, and I took my boys to see the Mason Dixon marker near Delmar. I'm very fond of history, and am teaching my boys (ages 13 and 11) to be the same. The pavilion needs work - painting of the guard rails, trimming of the bushes, taking out trash. I would like to volunteer my family to take care of this, including the painting of the rusty rails. How would I go about this? RESPONSE

The Boy Scouts had previously contacted Mr. Pollitt about cleaning up the marker area as an Eagle Scout project. We informed the "Ask Rick" author of this and, thanks to an exchange of contact information; they may work on the project together. Mr. Pollitt's office salutes all for their spirit of volunteerism. Here is Mr. Pollitt's response to the Boy Scouts?

"Hope things are going well for you and your family. Our office was contacted today by a new resident of Delmar who is inquiring about the ownership of the same Mason Dixon marker that you are considering for an Eagle Scout project. We asked him to hold off taking any action until we asked if you intended to go forward with your project. Would you let us know the status of your plans and if you intend to move ahead, we'll inform the other person that the project is already in good hands.

"Good luck with everything! "ASK RICK" QUESTION OR COMMENT

Why do we let traffic make a left turn onto U.S. Rte.50 at the Booth St. intersection to head East into Salisbury? You must cross two lanes of traffic. This is at the corner by the Armory. Further west on Rte. 50 there are no left turn dividers. All that would be needed at Booth St. & Rte. 50 is a no left turn sign. RESPONSE

Since Route 50 comes under the jurisdiction of the Maryland State Highway Administration, we asked them to answer this. Here is the response. "Thank you for your interest regarding the intersection of US 50 Business at Booth Street in Salisbury in Wicomico County. Mr. Donnie Drewer, District Engineer, has asked me to respond you directly.

"A review of the accident history for a period of approximately 3 ? years indicates that four reported accidents had occurred. The data does not reflect that there is an accident problem at this location. Due to the relatively low number of accidents, we do not want to restrict traffic movements at this time.

"We will continue to monitor the traffic operations at this site, and will make any signing and/or pavement marking revisions needed if and when we see accident problems developing.

"Again, thank you for your interest in traffic safety and the motoring public." RICK, I HAVE A COMMENT October, 2010

Tomorrow is Hazardous Waste Disposal Day and I am taking this opportunity to say "Thank you" in advance for keeping this service open to county residents. I know things are tight and the county has tried to save money any way it can. I know somebody who was laid off from the county. You don't hear that happening much in government. I heard somewhere that it costs the county around $100,000 to have somebody get rid of all the old chemicals, gasoline and stuff people will bring in tomorrow. That's a lot of money, but if that stuff got in the landfill it might wreck it. Anyhow, you probably don't get thanked much and I was always taught to say please and thank you. So I'll say please don't raise any taxes and thank you for keeping the Hazardous Waste Disposal Day.

A taxpayer RICK'S REPLY

Thank you for your comments and for your concern about our environment. Our Solid Waste Division is a model of efficiency not just for the Hazardous Waste collection day but also for our recycling efforts and our successful generation of electricity from methane gas produced by the landfill. Comment ? Bennett Middle Plans

I am reading about the county meeting that will happen tonight (Sept. 7th) and am curious as to why it is necessary for Wicomico County to spent 2 million dollars for architect and engineering fees for a new Bennett Middle School. Why not use the same architect and engineering that you used for the James M. Bennett High School? Wouldn't this save the county 2 million dollars and allow the school to be built NOW? Having our teachers and students in the present school is a disgrace to taxpayers. NO AIR CONDITIONING and now, because they have to have the windows open even to get a breath of air, dust from the final stages of tearing down the old James M. Bennett high school are causing serious concerns for teachers and students with allergies. It is HOT in that school and it is not a proper environment for teaching or learning.

I fully understand the process of getting approval and funding; but it seems to me that James M. Bennett High School and Bennett Middle could be built from the very same plans?what is the concern with the two schools looking alike. Now they won't be next to each other and quite honestly?it would be an easier transition for students from middle school to high school.

I hope that the Council will consider this option so that we can get this school built and go about teaching our students and having them learn in a better environment.

Many thanks for your guidance. Executive Response

I sought the opinion of Brian Foret, the facilities manager for the Board of Education. Hope it helps put it all into perspective. Please let me know if I can do anything else to be useful. Mr. Foret's Comments

This is a very good question. I wish it was that easy. Unfortunately buildings are like shoes. One size or type does not fit all.

While the idea in theory is a good one there are several reasons why it becomes difficult to put this into practice unless you are building the exact same type of school on a very similar site. And even then, it is a technical and sometimes, expensive challenge. The issue really isn't about aesthetics or whether 2 schools might look the same. It is about functionality and fit.

To begin with, the middle school program is significantly different from that of a high school. Different types of rooms are required, different mix, different arrangements, and different sizes, basically the programs are significantly different. And, as such, each school has a unique educational specification and program that must be addressed in order to meet the needs of the school system, the instructional program and the teachers and staff that will use this building. It is important to remember that the state has pretty definitive guidelines about building schools that meet their specific program needs. And this is a very important consideration when securing state funding.

Another important thing to keep in mind is the size or capacity requirement of the school. J.M.Bennett is built for 1500 students and Bennett Middle is designed for a state rated capacity of 1083 student. It would be great to build all that extra size into the middle school but it would not be practical and very expensive. Also, it is important to keep in mind that all of the building systems in JMB are designed and engineered for a much larger facility so it would not be practical to just lop off a wing. It would still need to be reengineered and sized in order to even work properly. Also, there is the issue of the site. Each building site is unique and brings with it an assortment of site specific environmental issues that need to be addressed in order for the building to fit on and within the site. These include the site geometry, orientation, surrounding community, access to utilities, roadway access, soil and drainage conditions, soil bearing capacity, buildable areas, etc. and this is just to name a few of the issues. All of these factors need to be considered when designing a building on a specific plat of land and not many parcels of land are exactly the same. You wouldn't want to end up with a building whose windows faced due west or a building too large for the site.

The regulatory environment is another important consideration that needs to be addressed when designing buildings. The building codes, life-safety codes and storm water regulations are just some of the constantly changing requirements and standards that must be met when designing buildings. Several of these codes are already different and more stringent from when JMB was originally designed. One very important regulatory consideration now is the requirement to build "green." Since the design of JMB the state is now requiring that all public schools be designed to obtain a minimum LEED silver certification level. This represents a whole new level of building design and one in which the building must address the environmental conditions of the site as part of its sustainable goal.

Please understand that this is in no way intended to explain the entire reasoning behind not just reusing the same building or reusing the design or engineering, but I think it begins to answer your question. I just wish it was that simple. Designing and building facilities today, especially schools, are just not that simple anymore, like everything else in our life now our buildings are highly technical, complex machines. It's just that we live, work and attend school in them. Comment - New Library

I just want to add my opinion to the new library situation.

During this extremely difficult time, I really oppose the library being rebuilt. The roads, physical plants, and water treatment are just a small portion of the needs of this city. Please do not take the little money we have and mortgage it for a new library. Decisions have to be made to keep the city functioning and growing?and the library is at the bottom of this list. Please improve our roads? especially around Mill St./Rt 50 where the pot holes are horrific and the flow of traffic dangerous.

The library has little community support for a huge expenditure. Rethink--and Resist this waste of resources---we don't have the money--it doesn't matter about the small grant money $375,000 that is obtained when the total cost is 100 times that amount. Again, please don't mortgage our future. Executive Response

Thanks for your note. Please be sure to read all of the news. Absolutely no one is saying that the library should be built now. In fact, every single player in this discussion realizes that any new construction is years away. There happen to be opportunities available now that might allow us to acquire some property at no cost to the taxpayer. Responsibility and good common sense requires us to at least consider these options. You are correct that we have more pressing immediate concerns and they will be addressed long before the first brick is laid for a new building. You can count on it. Comment - Civic Center Parking

Dear Mr. Pollitt:

I spoke at the Council meeting this past Tuesday in favor of the county continuing on with the purchase of the 5 acres of land at the Civic Center. Based on the facts that were presented at the public hearing, I certainly cannot find any reason why the council should put off one more day procuring this parcel of land. We cannot let our Civic Center stagnate and have no further growth due to negative comments from people that do not understand the facts. We should be proud of the Civic Center and it makes me sad when people that have no idea, speak like it is a weight on the county. They need to go and see for themselves. As I stated, we are hoping to bring another 2 days of shows this November to the Civic Center with hopes of increasing our dog show entries. People that show dogs like to go and stay at a place for at least 3 or 4 days and show. More and more dog show exhibitors are using motor homes which require much more parking space than the average automobile. We have already outgrown the parking area at the Civic Center and use additional space that has been provided. We are hoping to have some added attractions like a Barbeque or Bull Roast or something that will make our weekend appealing to all. We work closely with the Tourism department and I am sure Sandy Fulton will help us organize an event like this. Again, please "vote" yes to the 5 acres of land. Also, in the future, it would indeed by reasonable to "relocate" Glen Aveune to adjust the parking to the Civic Center more safely. BUT, let's first get the land. Executive Response

God bless you! You have stated the matter precisely and eloquently. I understand the hearing went very well and I'm grateful for your support. We just need to keep that message going to the council members over the next two weeks. Question - Landfill

The following is a comment from a citizen reacting to the news that the County received a $250,000 insurance payment to cover part of the loss from the thefts at the landfill.

Glad we were able to get this money back. I do however have a question/concern. (I suspect) the landfill fee that is paid annually by the citizens of the county, (and increases almost at the same frequency), aided in covering the cost of materials stolen/missing at the landfill. With the recouping of this money will it lead to a reduction of the annual landfill fee that is paid by the citizenry? There should be a direct and related financial benefit to those of us who use the landfill. It is difficult for those that I advocate for, to pay increased taxes/user fees while having difficulty during these tough economic times. Let's find ways to reduce these financial burdens. Executive Response

The landfill is an enterprise account, which means that it has to recoup all of its costs without going to the taxpayers for additional funds. Part of those costs are opening and closing the cells where trash is deposited - when a cell gets full, it has to be capped, and a new one opened. That activity occurs every few years, and costs millions of dollars.

The landfill fee is designed to allow us to pay the annual costs to operate the landfill plus accumulate the funds to pay for this activity. Otherwise, every time we had to do it, we would be coming to the taxpayers for additional funds, or we would have to skyrocket the fee to cover the cost. For example, if a new cell costs $2.5 million, and we sell about 7800 permits annually, that would be $320 more per permit.

Our landfill fee is less than Worcester's and is equal to Somerset's. The theft of the fuel means that in those years when that occurred, we were putting aside fewer funds. However, the landfill tipping fee has not been raised for ten years (1999) so no immediate costs were passed on to the taxpayer to operate the landfill because of missing fuel. The $400,000 from the insurance check and restitution by the thieves will help insulate us against future raises in the fee as the costs to open and close cells are always going up but does not guarantee we won't have to do so as highway user fees deplete along with other traditional State support. During this fiscal year's budget adoption, we borrowed money from the Enterprise Account to defray costs of operating our Roads Division, not because of the landfill loss but because of severe cuts at the State level. Question - The Revenue Cap

I would like to ask you a question, why do you keep harping about the revenue cap? I would venture to say if we did not have it there is a possibility that many homes would be foreclosed on in this county.

Also why is it when times get tight and the county can't continue in its lavish spending you want the taxpayer to pick up the slack. You would have to be blind not to see the spending in this county government and the BOE. We have assistants to the assistants stumbling over each other, fresh new vehicles and personnel in excess?not to mention the property purchases within the county.

I think it's high time the county government bit the bullet and forget the crusade to mess with the revenue cap.

Wicomico County Taxpayer Executive Response Thanks for your note and, believe it or don't, I appreciate your taking the time to write. I have to say, though, that I wish you would also take the time to learn more about the issue before forming an opinion. For instance, you might be surprised to learn that qualified external auditors and efficiency experts have analyzed the operations of county government and the Board of Education several times and have consistently found that we do an exceptionally good job with what we have and there truly is no "lavish spending" or waste. It is always easier to assume the worst and make complaints but I've always felt that when you do, first, you should know what you're talking about and, second, you should have a responsible alternative to suggest.

The bare facts are these. We are obligated to provide the best schools, public safety and health services, and road systems. These are our core services. Beyond that, most people think we should also support our volunteer fire companies, our senior citizens and our recreation and park needs as well as many other services that citizens expect from government. All of these things carry a large price tag and what it costs this year will cost more next year. Government's primary source of revenue to pay for these services is the property tax. When I was city manager in Fruitland, the city council understood that every so often, the tax rate needed to be adjusted by a few cents at a time in order to keep up with the cost of the services people expected of us. We "personalized" the discussion by telling people, for instance, that if you lived on Clyde Avenue and the tax rate went up a nickel, then, based on the value of your property, you would spend $20 more in taxes next year. In return for that $20, the City would hire two new police officers or upgrade the street lighting in the neighborhood or pay for higher salt prices for the streets during snow events. The point is, we made a connection between the rise in the tax rate and the services people would receive?usually for a dollar amount most could accept without noticing any pain.

Previous county councils failed to act responsibly and did not adjust the county tax rate to keep track with expenses. Finally, the councils of about nine years ago decided that they had no choice but to raise the tax rate dramatically. This sparked a taxpayer revolution that created my job and the revenue cap. I understand and respect how it happened. But the cap was written in a fundamentally flawed way. We have a 2% or Cost of Living limit, whichever is lower. Anyone can see that the effect of that is to drive down the tax rate to a level that simply will not fund the government. Now you may think that is a good thing but I have to ask you these questions:

 Do you want class sizes in school of 40 kids to a teacher or 20?  Do you want the best teachers coming to our county because they know they will be treated well in good school facilities or do you want them going to Sussex and Worcester, each of whom pay higher salaries and benefits?  Do you want the most talented and committed deputy sheriffs patrolling our roads and neighborhoods, keeping us safe or do you want the bottom of the barrel that can't get hired anywhere else?  Do you want rural volunteer fire companies that can reach your burning home in a matter of minutes or do you want to take a chance on a centralized station in the county seat sending help in your time of emergency?  Do you want a park system that provides outdoor recreational activities for your children, giving them an alternative to push-button video games and television or do you want to keep them indoors, adding to the general decline of physical fitness in our country?  Do you want quality roads that are paved on a regular schedule to keep them safe and drivable or do you want crumbling asphalt that throws your car out of alignment when you drive? I could go on and on. Very few people have any clue as to the extent and cost of the services we strive to provide efficiently with the money we're able to raise from our citizens. In next year's budget, your tax rate will fall to what it was in 1988. With adjustment for inflation, the actual dollar value is what it was in 1952. How in the world can you expect the county to do all people demand of us with a tax rate comparable to that of 50 years ago? Add to that, because of the State budget crisis, our State funding has been cut more than $6 million just this year. That is more than half the decrease in revenue we're seeing for the coming year. Clearly, something has to give. If our citizens truly do not want to pay for the services to which they have become accustomed, then we have no choice but to cut those services back or eliminate them. I tell you clearly, that will mean a sharp decline in our quality of life and I also tell you I did not seek this job to preside over the ruin of the county. I would rather you simply vote against me if you cannot accept the truth of what I'm telling you.

Finally, understand that I am not advocating getting rid of the Revenue Cap. I realize we need to honor the concept and principle that government must operate within limits. But we can make the Cap work for us and there are several ways to do it:

 Change it to a true tax rate cap instead of a revenue cap, which, I believe, most of us thought we were voting for in the first place. A property tax rate cap of 2% is reasonable and something we could all live with.  Change the percentage to a number (say 5%) that will still allow some degree of new revenue to come in, allowing us to keep up with rising costs and, when we can afford it, actually improve our level of service.  Simply make a change that the percentage increase or the Cost of Living number, WHICHEVER IS GREATER be the standard, rather than the lesser, as it is now.

We can fix this problem if we work together as a community. The bottom line is that we have to decide what level of service we want from our county government and what we're willing to pay for it. But this age-old bias that all government is wasteful and bloated just doesn't hold water in Wicomico County. The record is clear that that simply is not the truth and to repeat such charges is to prolong the problem and do nothing to provide a solution.

I hope you will take the time to consider "the other side" of the story and possibly re-think your position and maybe even volunteer as a citizen to help us bring our county back to solid ground.

One final note on that point? and this goes to your accusation that we are not handling our finances responsibly?since I took office a little more than two years ago, the county has received two consecutive ratings improvements from the bond rating agencies on Wall Street. These people don't care if you're happy with your schools and fire companies but they do care about how the county manages your money.

They say we're doing an outstanding job and are responsible, conservative and extremely careful with our handling of county funds. That should count for something, because it has everything to do with our credibility in the greater financial world. I'm sorry for the length of this reply to your complaint but, as you see, it takes a lot more time to educate and inform than it does to criticize and tear down. I hope I've at least given you an opportunity to look at this in another way.

Thanks again for your note. Question - WI-Hi Ballfield Maintenance

I have a question about the baseball field at Wicomico High School. I understand that this field is owned by Wicomico County and has not been improved upon in years. As this is the only High School in Wicomico County that does not have it's own field, does the County have any plans on making improvements? I have noticed that a new Colt League sign was installed and concrete was added under the bleachers but the actual field has not been upgraded in years. Kind of an embarrasment when other teams visit. Executive Response

The Wicomico Memorial Baseball Field has had many improvements over the years but not so many have been done recently.

The new concrete under the bleachers was installed this year by the Wicomico Board of Education.

Park & Rec officials have met with Board of Education (BOE) officials concerning jointly-used facilities on BOE property. This includes the baseball field at Wi Hi. It is now understood that the BOE needs to do more maintenance work at that field because of reduction of funding for Park & Rec?particularly from Maryland's Program Open Space.

Please feel free to contact John Terrell of Park & Recs at 410-548-4906 or [email protected] if you have further comments or questions. Question - Federal Stimulus Funds

First THANK YOU for striving to keep your campaign promises to the citizens/voters of our county. What steps are being taken for the Federal Funds coming to the county? Is the city working with the county so that all citizens at all levels are positively affected by the plans? Executive Response

Thank you for using "ASK RICK" on the county website and please know that I appreciate your comment on campaign promises.

I am taking a pro-active approach in an attempt to assure that Wicomico County doesn't get left behind as stimulus funds are dispersed. I have appointed a staff member to be the focal point of all the notifications that my department heads receive concerning funding. Also, that same staff member will be meeting with representatives of our two U.S. Senators and our congressman to discuss any federal stimulus package funding that may be available to us.

As part of our discussions, I intend to encourage solutions that will combine resources to leverage more funding for the entire Wicomico County community which consists of Salisbury, other municipalities and the county in general.

As mentioned, the state is receiving the largest share of the "stimulus" money. This is a great benefit to us in that it should serve to aid the State Of Maryland to continue funding such items as the teacher pension fund (annual cost - $11 Million). Governor O'Malley has pledged that he will not solve Maryland's economic problems "on the backs of the counties." Stimulus funds should help him keep to this pledge. Question - Whistle-Blower Program

Rick,

Sometime in the past year, you said you were going to start a whistle-blower program for county employees. When will this take affect? Executive Response

Great question!

Your timing couldn't be better since the Employee Hotline is now up and running. I just sent a letter to all county employees about how they can use the hotline. We'll be sending out a news release on the hotline to let taxpayers know what we are doing to serve them better. Question - Planning & Zoning

Have you or your office examined the Planning and Zoning Commission's Mission Statement and/or agenda toward new sub divisions and their hidden agenda to stop growth (moratorium) instead of smart growth? As a land owner, I thought I had the right to sell, develop or TDR my property as long as I meet the Wicomico County sub division regulations under the law not the comprehensive committee reports, personal statements and environmental reports. If growth and development is stopped, then our future tax base, jobs and the future of this county's economic development will suffer. Unemployment will sky rocket! What is the answer???

Thanks for your time! Executive Response Although there are people in the county who would like to slam the door on any future growth, I am not one of them. A community must grow in order to provide any kind of decent quality of life. How we grow is the challenge before us all. The Planning Commission has been given the difficult task of developing and implementing not just new subdivision regulations, but also a new zoning code and a variety of State environmental regulations, including Forest Conservation and wetlands resource protection. These apply differently depending upon whether a given property is in a designated growth area or rural/agricultural area, and also depending upon individual site characteristics. All of these are intended to operate under the "Smart Growth" principles of the State of Maryland.

While I certainly support the important objectives of resource protection and growth management, I have always been and will always be a champion of private property rights and a healthy economy. We must have a balance that provides us the cleanest environment while respecting the fact that people pay taxes on their land and have a right to expect to get a fair return on that investment if they choose to sell or develop. I will do my best to see that County regulations are applied as fairly as possible in pursuit of those guiding principles. That will be one of the missions of my administration.

Thanks very much for your thoughts. Question - Hazardous Duty Pay

Rick: What are the conditions of the hazard pay that has been partially paid to some of the correctional guards at the Detention center? While I believe that the guards deserve this hazard pay do I deserve it any less because I am not a guard? I also have contact with inmates and believe that I am put at risk for being spit on, urinated on or even being attacked. As I said, the correctional officers do deserve this pay, but it is my belief that they are not the only employees of the Wicomico County Dept. of Corrections that are at risk and who also deserve some of this hazard pay. Executive Response

The purpose of Hazardous Duty Pay is to compensate those employees of the Wicomico County Department of Corrections who are in mandated positions as written in the Code of Maryland Regulations and as defined by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission and whose primary duties include the direct supervision and control of persons committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections. While other employees (County and Contractual), volunteers, attorneys and clergy do occasionally have direct contact with inmates, the significant difference is,that if a situation arises that requires an inmate be subdued, C/Os are required to intervene, whereas other employees are required to leave the area and/or the situation. Additionally, by virtue of their positions, Correctional Officers are, for all intents and purposes, the enforcers of institutional rules. If an inmate refuses a lawful order, the CO, if needed, will use all necessary means, including physical force, to gain compliance. In doing so, they risk not only injury but exposure to blood borne and air borne pathogens. Just as the person who wrote the inquiry, County employees in other departments, are from time to time exposed to certain hazards and/or hazardous materials which, if handled improperly, could do harm. This is why both the federal and state government's Occupational Health and Safety Administrations require certain levels of protection for all employees. However, none of them, save Deputy Sheriffs, have such exposure(s) written in their job descriptions as a requirement and expectation of their positions. I, along with the County Council, have recognized the unique and inherent danger in these positions and have agreed that it is worthy of special and additional compensation.

Thank you for contacting me. Question - Collector Road

What is the status of the Northwest Collector Road? Executive Response

Construction on Phase 1 of the new collector road is underway?This is from Route 50 to Brick Kiln Road. This is scheduled for completion this Fall at a cost of $2 Million. Phase 2 will go from Brick Kiln to Levin Dashiell Road and is set to be done by Fall, 2009 at a cost of $1 Million. All financing and right of ways are in place for Phases 1 & 2. Phase 3 will go from Levin Dashiell Road to Crooked Oak Lane and should be done by 2011. The cost will be $1.5 Million. The right of way work on this phase is not complete. It is important to note that part of this project includes improvements to Crooked Oak Lane as well as installation of a traffic light at the junction of Nanticoke Road and Crooked Oak Lane.

Thanks for contacting "Ask Rick." Question - Property Taxes

What does Wicomico County do with property tax payments? Executive Response

Property tax payments are deposited in the County's General Fund, and for the current year, are anticipated to fund about 37% of the County's budget. By law, residential property taxes must be used to help fund our schools. In the current year, anticipated revenue from property taxes falls just short of the appropriated funding for the Board of Education. The balance of the Board's funding, and funding for all other County services, comes from other sources of County revenues such as income taxes, grants, fees, charges for services, interest earned, etc.

County property taxes do not pay for water and sewer service as the County does not have centralized water & sewer. Your town water and sewer fees, not property taxes, likely pay for that infrastructure. County property taxes also do not pay for trash/landfill services which are paid for by user fees or through the municipalities.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me ... and thank you for taking the time to become more informed about your government - an involved citizen is our biggest asset. Question - City/County Taxes

Please tell me the status of the study you promised to determine whether Salisbury city residents might receive a county tax break/rebate because of the overlap of services.

We moved here recently from Baltimore County, and are in minor shock at having to pay both city and county taxes. As you know, Baltimore city residents do not pay any county taxes, since the city is a separate entity.

I was pleased to see you at the Neighborhood Congress last night. I appreciated your comment about "Come Heres" and "From Heres." I am pleased to say that everyone in our neighborhood has been very friendly and welcoming. Executive Response

Thanks for your kind words and I'm delighted, but not surprised, to hear that you've been well- received in your neighborhood. We are a friendly lot, most of the time. In reply, I was pleased that the County Council approved my budget request for funds to pay the county's share of a comprehensive study of Tax Differential in partnership with the Cities of Salisbury and Fruitland and the Town of Delmar. We are currently developing the scope of work for the project and hope to have a Request for Proposals out sometime this Fall.

Historically, there has been a sharp divide between the county and the municipalities over whether the concept of tax differential is valid here or not. We hope the study will at least resolve that issue. If the county's position prevails (this is,in part, that for every dollar of county taxes paid by town residents, about two dollars worth of services are received) the matter should end there. If the town position is vindicated (that residents are paying twice for the same service), we still need to find a way to make the system work. I'm sure there will be plenty of publicity about the issue as we move forward. Thanks for the note and best wishes as new residents of our community. Question - Volunteer Fire Department

Hi Rick,

I have heard rumors that the council or yourself will soon be restructuring Volunteer Fire Department Territory and, if so, when will that be taking place and will you be doing this to all of the departments? Executive Response

After all these years of relying on the County Fire Chiefs' Association to determine boundary lines for fire districts; a new twist has come into being. According to the law, when a town annexes land, they are required to provide fire protection services along with other municipal services such as police, streets, garbage collection, etc.

Salisbury has recently annexed land that is located in the Hebron Fire District and the Delmar Fire District. Accordingly, the City has demanded that I direct our county emergency management office to transfer jurisdiction from those two companies to the City of Salisbury.

I initially attempted to delay the transfer, hoping instead to develop a new methodology that would satisfy the City's legal obligations and maintain the integrity of years of local tradition. Unfortunately, the county attorney advised that I could be placing the county at risk by not immediately moving ahead as the law requires. Accordingly, the changes will be made. I still intend to pursue an effort to get all of the affected parties around the negotiating table to see if we can come up with a better plan that first, is legal and second, allows the greatest possible role for the firefighting community in the assigning and management of the fire districts. Thanks for your question. Question - Funds for New Wells

Hi Rick

Is the county going to help the residents of Wicomico County with any funds for those that have to spend $5,000 for a new well? I live off of Nanticoke Road and just learned that this is my fate.

Thanks! Executive Response

Hi and thanks for the note. We're working with the State Department of the Environment to identify all possible funding sources to help people meet that challenge. My well went dry three weeks ago and the bill for a new one is just about $5,000 after permit fees and the cost of the well is combined. It's probably too early to tell if the blame for the problem can be assigned to any particular party and whether there will be fines generated that can be distributed to those in need. We're obtaining information about low interest loans and the possibility of grants for people that qualify. Once we have something definite to report we'll publicize the information through the web site and local media. Good luck with your problem. I know it's not easy. Question - Development and Growth

As shown by the recent county elections and newspaper articles, the positive and negative effects from development and growth in the county and its municipalities are of great concern to most Wicomico County citizens. What are you doing in the short term and over the long term to gain the advantages from development and growth while reducing their harmful effects? Executive Response

I think the one thing that stands out since last year's campaign began is the near unanimity of concern in the community for coming to grips with development in a way that manages inevitable growth while preserving the rural character of our county. I have been a strong supporter of agriculture preservation districts since my days as Planning and Zoning Director for Somerset County. And that was thirty years ago. During my time there we established the first three ag preservation districts in the county. In my new Wicomico County budget, I more than doubled the amount of money requested from P & Z staff for ag preservation.

I also placed funding in the budget to hire a professional consultant that will help us develop a grand strategy for the long-delayed upgrade of our comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations. It is my intention to conduct a massive public input campaign to engage all of our community in the formulation of the policies that will take us through the next 20 years.

In my campaign, I made a commitment to forming a blue-ribbon commission charged with investigating the feasibility of establishing a county-wide water and sewer authority. As you know, growth is guided by water and sewer capability and I believe we can form partnerships with the municipalities that offer public water and sewer services to better plan and accommodate the growth that is coming our way.

Along those lines, I was an early advocate of the Council of Governments concept. I believe that once the initial skepticism about this being another layer of bureaucracy wears off, the COG will be an invaluable tool for sharing information and resources as we confront issues such as growth from a unified position. Likewise, my Wicomico Neighborhood Congress should go a long way toward bringing more citizens into the debate, giving rise to potentially stronger support for effective growth management policies.

These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. I welcome your ideas as well. In my campaign I made light of the old rivalry between "from-heres" and "come-heres," saying I wanted to make us all want to be "stay-heres." We need to make preserving the rural character of our county and the Eastern Shore our highest priority or we will lose the very thing that keeps anybody here. Question - Property Information

It would be extremely helpful if property owners could access a county website showing the status of their property?mainly taxes owed and other relevant issues. Executive Response We are installing a new financial management system and we plan to have much more information on line in the next few years. In the meantime, the easiest way to check on taxes is to call the County Tax Office at 410-548-4840. Question - Revenue Cap

I read your comment in the Chamber of Commerce Business Journal regarding the Revenue Cap " ... to the extent that the Revenue Cap can eventually die a dignified death, having accomplished its purpose." Please explain how it has accomplished its mission and, aside from wanting more money from tax payers, why is the concept of limiting government's ability to take away our money a bad idea? Executive Response

Hi and thanks for your note. My statement about the future demise of the revenue cap is predicated upon reaching a time when its purpose has been accomplished. We're not there yet. So far, the only thing it has accomplished is limiting the resources government needs to provide the services the citizens expect. Government does not exist to spend money. There is neither motivation nor purpose in that. Government exists to provide the services to the people we cannot obtain on our own?.public education, public safety, roads, drainage, parks, libraries, airports, etc. It costs a lot of money to provide these services and how well we do it directly impacts on how people perceive the quality of life in their community. I believe most people don't mind paying their fair share of taxes as long as the tax collectors and spenders are careful and efficient in the way that they do their jobs. Several years ago, when the County Council imposed a drastic and unreasonably large tax increase on us, citizens revolted, and rightfully so; and imposed the revenue cap on county government.

My job is to oversee the provision of county services to our people. There is a cost to that and it's also my job to point out to people how much the services they want from us will cost. Then it becomes a choice and we as a community decide what our priorities are. This year, nearly $3 million in county roads work will not happen because of the lack of funds. I cut $1 million from the $2 million requested by the Board of Education. Other areas, including our support for seniors, volunteer fire companies, and improvements to planning and zoning have suffered significant cuts because we didn't have the money to fully fund them. Without the cap, we would have raised $4 million more for county services without raising the tax rate a fraction of a cent. That's $4 million that won't go to roads, education, safety, seniors, and the rest.

Simply put, here is my position on the Revenue Cap. It was a predictable response by a fed-up community to an abuse of authority by their county leadership. My goal is to restore trust and confidence in county government by proving to people that I do respect where the tax dollars come from and how careful we must be in how we use them. Then, and only then, should we put the issue of the cap back on the ballot and let our citizens decide for themselves if the time has come to let it go. Believe me, no one dislikes paying taxes more than I do. I have plenty of other uses for my money. But I want quality schools, a decent road system, a nearby fire company and all the other services the government is supposed to provide. Too often we're tempted to take the easy way and demand more and more from our government but then we say we don't want to pay for it. As is everything in life, it's all about balance. And that's for the community to decide. Not me. But it is my job to lead and that I will continue to do.

I hope this helps and I really do appreciate your contacting me.