I am a business owner in Wicomico County. I’m raising my kids here. My roots here run deep. So does my belief that Wicomico’s best days are ahead of us, not behind us. I’m writing this because I want to be part of building that future and because I know we can do it, but only if we commit to it.
Wicomico is the Capital of the Eastern Shore. We are the educational center, the institutional anchor. We have the airport, the port, the hospital, the colleges, the talent. These aren’t relics, they’re assets we’re building on right now. We’re rebuilding momentum. We are the place to be if we commit to it.
We still have those assets. TidalHealth, Salisbury University, Wor-Wic Community College, Salisbury Regional Airport, the Port of Salisbury every single one is a thriving institution.
What’s changed is the landscape. Competition for talent has never been greater. Every region is competing for the same executives, the same families, the same investment. And right now, we’re competing without a unified vision. We’re not losing because we lack excellence. We’re losing because we haven’t decided who we want to be and stated it clearly.
Look around. Blackwell Hall is being transformed. The performing arts center is coming downtown. TidalHealth is launching graduate medical programs. UMES graduated its first aviation maintenance class. A new library is under construction. We just got our first state park. This is momentum. But momentum without direction is just motion.
If Wicomico is going to reclaim the Capital of the Eastern Shore, here are the five commitments that matter:
COMMITMENT 1: Private Investment Growth
Wicomico becomes the fastest-growing county on the Shore in private investment by 2035. This is the leading indicator. If we’re serious about attracting talent, we attract investment first. Investment follows vision.
COMMITMENT 2: Local School Funding
Double our local per-pupil investment from $3,652 to $5,500 - $6,000 per student, placing Wicomico in the top 20% of Maryland counties by 2035. Talent follows schools. Families follow schools. Counties that lead aren’t the ones that rely on state aid alone they’re the ones that commit local dollars. If we want to compete for executives and their families, we invest at levels that prove we’re serious. ¹
COMMITMENT 3: Sewer Capacity
Expedite sewer expansion countywide. Our goal should be zero developments rejected for lack of capacity. This removes the constraint that stalls growth.
COMMITMENT 4: Tax Structure Reform
Replace the revenue cap with a tax rate cap that allows the county to benefit from growth in the tax base rather than being handcuffed by fixed revenue limits. Address the tax differential between the city and county. These aren’t sexy issues but they’re the structural decisions that either enable or block everything else.
COMMITMENT 5: Talent Attraction
More executives at TidalHealth, Salisbury University, and major employers choose to live in Wicomico because it’s the best place to raise a family by 2035. This strengthens our income tax base and ensures those who work here also build lives here.
To our elected leaders: Put this in the Comprehensive Plan. Make the structural decisions: expedite sewer expansion now. Commit to increasing local school funding to reach top 20% in the state. Replace the revenue cap with a tax rate cap. Address the tax differential between the city and county. Create accountability for hitting these commitments.
To our employers: Expand payroll here. Hire locally. Build something that keeps people here. Companies that invest in community-building create loyalty, stability, and workforce retention.
To our citizens: Hold your leaders to these commitments. Ask every candidate: What are you doing to hit them? Vote accordingly. But this isn’t just on leaders. It’s on the volunteer who runs the little league. The parent at the school board. The neighbor who shows up. You’re already building Wicomico; demand clarity from those in charge about where we’re heading and when we get there.
This will take fifteen years, not two. There will be budget cuts, failed votes, stalled projects. That moment when something breaks is where we prove whether we meant this or were just talking. The regions that lead aren’t the ones that never fail. They’re the ones that fail and keep going the next morning.
We have the assets. We have the talent. The only thing missing is the commitment.
Brad Gillis
Gillis Gilkerson
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
¹ Source: Maryland Department of Legislative Services, Public School Funding — FY 2025 Per Pupil State and Local (https://dls.maryland.gov/pubs/prod/NoPblTabPDF/2025PerPupilStateandLocal.pdf). Wicomico County currently ranks 23rd of 24 Maryland counties in total per-pupil funding at $18,839 (state: $15,186; local: $3,652). Top 20% threshold counties (Howard, Montgomery, Talbot, Kent, Anne Arundel) range from $10,498 to $13,782 in local per-pupil funding. Worcester County, the highest-performing county on the Eastern Shore, invests $6,180 locally per pupil (73% local funding rate vs. Wicomico’s 19% local rate).
