5-2 vote is the latest fight in a decade of GOP intraparty tensions
Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano (R) in a January 2024 file photo from the State House. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.
A decade of conflict and tension between Republican county executives and the Republican-dominated Wicomico County Council came to a boil Tuesday, as the council voted 5-2 for a ballot referendum asking voters to amend the county’s charter to do away with the elected executive — just two decades after that office was created.
Four Republicans and one Democrat supported the move that – if ratified at the ballot box in November – would restore Wicomico County to a government in which the county council appoints a county manager. One Republican and one Democrat voted against the referendum.
Two nearby Eastern Shore counties, Dorchester and Talbot, currently utilize the county manager structure — under which Wicomico also was governed until voters decided in 2004 to move to an elected council/elected executive form of charter government. Wicomico — the Eastern Shore’s second most populous county, which includes rapidly growing Salisbury — elected its first executive in 2006.
Tuesday’s council vote sparked a furious reaction from County Executive Julie Giordano, a Republican who took office in December 2022, the third elected executive.
“I’m disappointed in five of you —not surprised, but disappointed,” Giordano, a public school teacher prior to running for executive, scolded the council during the public comment period. “You continually make decisions to undermine my office and hurt the morale of the employees and stop the progress of our county.
“I’m letting you know for the next five months, I’m going to be doing everything to ensure that this ballot initiative fails, because we cannot go backwards,” she vowed.
Her comments came two weeks after a crowded public hearing on the proposed referendum, in which Giordano – a conservative activist prior to being elected to public office – vowed to come after her opponents if they succeeded in doing away with the executive. If enacted, the measure would do away with the office at the conclusion of Giordano’s current term, in late 2026.
“If for some reason this passes in November, I will go back to teaching in 2026, but I will run for county council along with a slate, and I will win – because no one works harder than I do,” she told the council at the June 4 hearing to cheers from her supporters in the room.
Instead of Giordano, we should just employ the “Magic 8 Ball”
It would be less obnoxious lol
This county is run by 3 drama queens!
#1 Julie Giordano.
#2 Pam Oland.
#3 Jamie Dykes.
Disagree with either one of these queens and you have hell to pay!
Time to get rid of that overpriced position! You know it’s bad when a lame, unqualified middle school teacher barely gets elected to that position! And then she hires unqualified people for County Administrator and Assistant County Administrator and pays them $120,000 a year each. The “County Administrator” is now making more money than he has ever made in his life! Three times more!
What a laughable comment.
No one of any substance runs, and who you continually vote in or win by default are running the area into the ground.
75+% of housing is owned by 1%, who’s barely legal tactics and money grabs are damaging your community.
Barely 2% vote.
My dog could win a seat based on those odds.
The community and elected officials created this. Keep your population stupid , poor, and struggling.
Instead of focusing on businesses and jobs, lets worry about shopping carts, plastic bags, rainbow sidewalks and stabbing each other in the back with their ego driven power plays.
You think it’s bad now, have your inexperienced council run the show. How has that worked out for the city? Increased fees, fees and more fees, even trying to impose illegal fees. . . .
Shithole waste land. And one of your largest employers is a convenient store chain?
Nothing but Mr Yes for the Queen!
It was a citizen referendum that got the Executive position put in the Charter. I expect it to remain as it was the will of the voters… Considering the battles between the executives (all of them so far) and the council, I would suggest it was the correct change. While we need more changes (initiated by citizen referendum) – removing the Executive would be a step backwards as the new county manager would report to the Council – like it did two decades ago. We didn’t like it then and we changed it!
Separation of branches is how the country works…successfully for over 250 years.
our county existed for 140 years before this new, radical and bloated government position was created in 2004…….20 years of failure is enough. Time to bring back small government and get our county doing things again besides suing itself and costing the taxpayers money….
Yea, and that worked so well the citizen demanded change.
Educate yourself.
Learned something new today (actually two things)!
I didn’t know Julie was a MAGA candidate.
I didn’t know that the council actually put in the referendum for the Executive to be added to the charter.
As Jeff Merritt said – the current residents get to decide again. Are they counting on a significantly different voting base?
So few vote.
All they need to fo is rally a few friends.
Then they can finally screw everyone and get rid of the cap.
I have a garden Gnome that is more competent than Julie GROOMERdano…maybe that could be the next county executive….
Just think, we have the Delmarva Conservative Movement to thank for Giordano, Winn and Hasting. Can someone list the names of those behind this group so the public knows who not to vote for in November.
Let’s see if all three will acknowledge their MAGA roots!
Let’s see if all three will support term-limits!