I’m a resident of Downtown Salisbury, and I’m writing to express serious concerns about an upcoming “forum” Mayor Randy Taylor is participating in that raises questions about ethics, transparency, and who truly gets a seat at the table in our city.
The Republican Conservative Women’s Club is hosting this so-called “public forum” on downtown development, a partisan political organization. Yet the City of Salisbury uses its official Facebook page to promote the event. The Mayor has tried to say it is a city event, yet a ranking Republican activist who lives outside of City limits, Nicole Acle, is the contact person for this event, not city staff or official city channels.
Are our taxpayer dollars or public resources being used to support this effort beyond just a post? If so, that’s not just bad judgment, it’s unethical.
Even more baffling is the location. The event is being held at Wor-Wic Community College, one of the farthest spots from Downtown Salisbury. Let’s be clear: Wor-Wic isn’t even in city limits, and it’s nowhere near the neighborhoods that will be affected by the policies being discussed. It feels like an intentional decision to exclude the very people who call downtown home.
Let’s also look at the topic: this event centers around the density amendment, which already went through the proper legal and public process. It passed with the city councils override of Randy's veto, and overwhelming support from downtown residents like me. But instead of moving forward, certain political actors try to relitigate a settled issue through manufactured outrage and distraction.
And take a look at the speaker list. Not one person with expertise in urban planning or housing development. Instead, we get a lineup of Republican activists, headlined by a part-time law enforcement instructor at Wor-Wic. That’s who’s being brought in to talk about downtown housing?
This isn’t genuine community engagement. It’s political theater. It’s an attempt to distort the truth, discredit the voices of actual residents, and drum up opposition to progress that helps working people.
Our city deserves better. We deserve a people-led forum in the heart of the community, where residents, not political operatives, set the agenda. Authentic leadership is about listening, not manipulating. Once again, Mayor Randy Taylor's shady behaviors and non-existent ethics have brought scandal to Salisbury.
Connor Romblad
Salisbury resident
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
