An Uprising Against the Establishment in a Little Town is a Good Sign for This Country.
I never thought it would happen.
I never thought the little town I live in; a little quaint town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, a town that appears to be more blue than red, the town that seemed quite content to allow its government to control all that goes on within its boundaries, the town where many of us don’t have problems with crime or poverty, would be the birthplace of a citizen’s movement to wrest control back from those who would be autocrats.
It was the sudden “retirement” of a police chief who had expressed desire to stay on the job for at least six more years and the resulting town uproar that started the revolution.
It upset many of us who had been “asleep” for a long time. Yes, we might have wondered why during Covid our shoreline became a “beach” that was closed and why an outdoor dog park would be locked because it was a “park”. We questioned the authority of a paid employee to create restrictions for the population.
But with this event, people in our town realized that things weren’t right. Public information that should be readily accessible was not. Elected commissioners who should have been responsive and transparent in their work, were not. Job postings and interviews for positions that should have followed public policy and law did not.
People started asking questions. How did this happen? Who was really in charge? What were the qualifications of people running the town? Why were family members of current employees given high paying jobs?
What were the salaries of these small-town employees? $168,000 for a town manager of a town of approximately 650 full time residents? $86,000 for a “town planner” of such a small town? Why were other employees being paid so much less for comparable duties?
All those doubts and questions came to light in a meeting of approximately 300 citizens on a Tuesday night. People spoke. Some were loud, some were quiet. Some were animated, some were subdued. Everyone who spoke agreed that the town needed to be more transparent and responsive. “You work for us! You need to listen, be accountable and transparent.”
They didn’t like that. They had their lawyer run interference for them. One commissioner ran after people after the meeting shaking his finger at them and shouting, “Didn’t work, didn’t work, didn’t work” in reference to an imagined coup.
After that meeting, they thought we would go away. We didn’t.
At the next town meeting it was much calmer. Two commissioners read their comments about the previous meeting. We found out that some information about town practices was being posted online now. We heard about how they would do better. We were invited to be on an “ad hoc” citizen committee regarding hiring practices. We heard a tribute to the retired Chief of Police and a glowing biography of his replacement, who was apparently hired prior to the retirement of the former chief.
Then we heard a tribute to the current Town Manager who in her eleven-year tenure has supposedly saved this town from flood, famine and destruction via federal and state grants. After it was read, many of us wondered if we would be erecting a bronze monument to her in the Town Park.
No one applauded.
Oh the similarities from that lil town and our 10 mile island…..
Oh the similarities….
Is this story about Ocean city? If not, it should be.
I loved this article! Someone with some spunk and backbone finally speaks up! It’s about time these high falutin’ jerks were put in their place! Thank you, Jan!!
Was that the sound of Rickie slamming his Beerinhan on the table?
(snicker snicker!)