It is fully acknowledged that Question A, a Charter Amendment to eliminate the Executive form of government, has become a heated debate. That is as it should be. Listening to various arguments for and against, I am certain there have been many half-truths, and baseless information used in this public discussion. For the most part, this could be construed as somewhat harmless.
I cannot, however, sit on the sidelines given one specific claim that I’ve found to be entirely false and deliberately misleading. As stated by opponents of Question A, and by the County Executive herself, “A County Council form of government will increase your taxes”. This is simply “fake news” and a very superficial attempt to mislead the public.
Here are the facts.
I don’t recall a single sitting member of the Wicomico County Council ever stating, in private or in public, that they would even consider raising taxes. Furthermore, it has been the County Council who appears to have been a staunch supporter of the Revenue Cap since it was enacted 18 years ago. How those who are against this amendment can twist the truth this badly is beyond comprehension.
What’s even more astounding and ironic, the County Executive, a self-proclaimed conservative, is the one and only elected official who has actually attempted to totally circumvent Wicomico’s Revenue Cap and raise the county property tax rate above the allowable number. This was as recent as this past June, during the 2024 budget season.
The discussion at hand was funding for a new Fruitland Primary School. Instead of utilizing the windfall funds in the county’s reserves for the new school, as the County Council requested, here is how the Executive attempted to “Bust the Revenue Cap” as she characterized it.
In accordance with the Revenue Cap mandate, and due to huge property assessments valuations, the property tax rate was to be LOWERED from .8855 (previous budget year) down to .8468. This would have been a 4.3% reduction in the county’s tax rate. What did our County Executive attempt to do?
She came forth with a tax rate of .8739. A reduction of only 1.3%, to pay for the school. In essence, she was “short-sheeting” the public by 3% in her proposed tax rate cut. Had she had her way, this attempt to totally disregard the Revenue Cap would have prevented the public from its right to benefit from the fully allowed reduction. Yet, in a publicly released statement she still claimed to have ‘lowered your property taxes’. She just didn’t disclose it wasn’t lowered to the full, allowable amount allowed by law. Fortunately, the County Council countered her actions by refusing to limit the full amount of allowable reductions; thereby giving the citizens of Wicomico County the full benefit of a 4.3% reduction in their property tax rate for this fiscal year.
How ironic. The opponents to the Charter amendment, including the Executive herself, claim the Council will increase your taxes, while the facts clearly demonstrate and prove the opposite. She is the only elected official who has blatantly attempted to raise taxes, while misleading the public, since the Executive office was put in place 18 years ago. And this was attempted just this past June of 2024!
To add to the absurdity, after being forced to fund the school through reserves and to restore the revenue cap base, she had the audacity to personally deliver a Certificate of Appreciation to a Fruitland 2nd grade class, explaining how she was so thankful for their letters of support which allowed her (not the County Council) to approve funding for their new school. Then, it was only within a month later, at a second budget session with the Council, that the Executive was quoted in public stating, “I didn’t want that school anyway”. Here you had a blatant attempt to not only mislead the public but to take advantage of the innocent nature of 2nd Graders at the same time!
The Wicomico Council took the conservative and honorable approach entirely. They enabled the citizens to receive the full tax rate benefit as regulated by the Revenue Cap; which has allowed more tax dollars to go back into their pockets; while at the same time keeping county spending under control. Truly delivering what the Executive publicly purported to do, “Reducing your taxes while, at the same time, giving you a new school”.
Anyone who is aware of the facts as stated above can easily see: This Council is not in favor, and never has been in favor of raising taxes. This effort has only emanated from the Executive’s office. Any suggestion to the contrary is a direct attempt to mislead the public.
Such unpredictable distractions and deliberate attempts at deception should be more than enough to make it clear that an Executive form of government is not, and has not been, the most Effective, Efficient, and certainly not the most Transparent form of government we had hoped it might have been when this started 18 years ago.
This is just one example of why we need to carefully consider our position during this election cycle and that position should be to VOTE ‘YES’ FOR QUESTION A.
Joe White
Wicomico County resident
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
