As the new Mayor of the City of Salisbury, I want to thank everyone who afforded me this great honor. As I have just completed my 18th week in the office, I have embraced a huge learning curve, and I am excited about the vision I hope to unfold. My platform for Mayor was quite simple, “Progress with Transparency.”
These last 18 weeks have underscored the need for that practical approach. I have found having looked under the hood of modern-day government, a built-in resistance to transparency is the norm.
Equally as important, we must fan the flames of progress but stave off the path of “progress” at any cost. Specifically, progress with regrets, with unfounded premises, that lead to legacy costs and create herculean problems over time. Said differently, perceived progress which is bullied and cajoled to appear in the best interest of the whole but really designed to serve the interests of a few either political or financial is actually going backwards. As a taxpayer, it is my hope you will find no greater fighter in that battle than this mayor.
As I have been getting up to speed on dozens of issues and projects in the City, my most pressing issue to resolve is the budget. Simply put, to cure the troubling financial trajectory Salisbury has been on for about 6 years.
The revenues and the expenses of the City of Salisbury have grown 60% during this period. A rate of increase which is three times the rate of inflation. The composition of those increased revenues is varied. First, the prior administration raised the effective tax rate four times in the last 9 years which has placed us the highest in the county and in the top municipal property tax rates in the state at $1.03/$100 of assessed value.
Second, expansion of the tax base in new construction but a more meaningful component is the increase in revenues which came simply from a soaring rise in assessed values. Values which by all indications are likely to remain stubbornly level for the next 3- 5 years and afford us far less, if any, meaningful increased revenue.
While growing tax revenues is certainly good, management of that growth is critical to overall health and sustainability. Generating fixed costs of government that are chasing unsustainable revenue growth soon outpaces the “normal” rate of growth which cannot be sustained without a correction. Many of our fixed costs have taken on that trajectory to include a newly established union founded by the prior administration. Many of these expenses were subsidized with Covid-funding which is no longer flowing. In this former banker’s opinion, the time for course correction is ringing the doorbell like your neighbor who has something very important to tell you.
Beyond the budget, I have been inundated with concerns over bike lanes, much-needed infrastructure needs, deferred sidewalk repairs, giveaway land deals involving city assets, proposed Downtown projects crowding without viable parking plans and the list goes on. All these battles and conversations started before I arrived in office, however, I am fully prepared to lead that process and hopefully dramatically improve the quality and direction of prior iterations.
Salisbury has a great deal of forces at play right now. Political forces, financial forces, forces who are attempting to try and pull the levers of power. Not an atypical scenario for a small town like Salisbury. However, the most powerful but untapped force is the taxpayers who provide the everyday work, maintain the homes, pay the taxes, support the businesses and choose Salisbury to call home. People who have raised their kids, been a part of this community – many for generations, for which I am one.
To all of you, I am hard at work serving what I believe are your interests and to the extent you can, I vigorously invite you to participate in that process. We need you! More importantly, I want to hear from you!
Lets be clear ! Details matter! Doing your homework matters! More importantly, leadership matters and while it must include great enthusiasm and vision, it cannot leave behind a healthy and duly required component of common sense rooted in real experience.
Let me again put a few things on the record. I am FOR development. I am also FOR infrastructure and beautification. I am FOR growth and incentives which make sense. I am FOR a dynamic Salisbury. I am also FOR sensible policies and initiatives that have a contribution to all.
As Mayor, I recognize there is a role in government to assist in all those efforts which I am happy to help deploy. However, no matter what the pitch offered by the shiny-toothed salesman, no ill-conceived plan can outrun a good calculator. Math always has a way of crashing the party and settling the matter. I am for healthy growth, and a dynamic Salisbury which makes economic sense. If the subject proposal meets those goals, this mayor will be its biggest fan. If it does not, I offer no apologies – prepare for a fight.
As I have said from the start of this journey, my goals as your mayor are quite simple. First, be open, honest and transparent. Second, to deploy sound financial decision-making and common-sense policies in Salisbury and allow it to continue to grow, and prosper. To all taxpayers, I promise to fill my plate every day with things I hope to fulfill those goals.
Again, I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve you as the 30th Mayor of Salisbury. I hope to continue to make you proud. Please feel free to reach out to me at rtaylor@salisbury.md I would love to hear from you, Salisbury needs your voice.
I agree, we also need zoning codes to be upheld…. Stop Safari at the Quarry. Save Connelly Mill Park
save the book !!! if he is a democrat then he is no good !!!
fire democrats
Sounds like Salisbury finally has a Mayor that knows how to govern.
Please hire adults from the private sector and not the rainbow kids.
Well said Mr. Mayor. Glad to have someone in Office who understands you cannot continue to borrow and we must find a way of balancing the budget. Always always remember public safety is number one.
While I don’t live in the city-thank goodness sanity has returned to local government.
It sounds like the old leadership had an unsustainable business plan!
I commend you on your courage to lead. The last one only did it for political gain. He didn’t
give a rats ass about Salisbury. And it worked, he’s in the State house with the rest of the libtards. And respect your police officers. And get feedback. The last one had no respect for them. I’m speaking of Day here.
Why is there no mention of LGBTQIA+ rights?
Most anthropologists recognize 3 or 4 basic races of man in existence today. These races can be further subdivided into as many as 30 subgroups. What about their rights ?
Despite being “the world’s biggest minority”, people with disabilities are often forgotten. They regularly face discrimination and exclusion from water and sanitation, healthcare, education, work, and community life. What about their rights ?
According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, or ultimate concerns. What about their rights ?
Why does LGBTQ?????? need special rights ?
Don’t need special rights, just the same as everyone else. Stop the hate.
thats not what the question asked, they wanted to know about their rights,
they dont need any rights that arent afforded to the rest of Salisbury. someone out there saying me me me
just because LGBTQIA* think they are better than everyone else doesnt mean everyone else should bow to them
Amen know one gets special rights. Carry yourselves over to Iran and see if you get special rights 4:56 pm.
Still will need to take 2 steps back before going forward….it takes time to adjust course and see positive revenue figures. Time, which none have.
More belt tightening.
Repeal the HORIZON tax break!
The City needs the money now, if builders won’t build without it, their business model is broken – They know it and you know it.
Growth pays for growth… Time for growth to start paying!
From the outside, it appears council is busy being bullies because someone took their blank check away.
Their obvious lack of respect to the mayor is appalling and our city council should be embarrassed by their conduct.
I wish the mayor well. Its gonna be a challenge.