Opinion

Editorial: The St. Michaels Town Commissioner Election

May 7, 2012 By The Spy Leave a Comment

The Talbot Spy would be the first to acknowledge it is way too early in our short tenure to offer an opinion on the candidates now running for St. Michaels Town Commission. While we have been publishing the Spy in Talbot County for over a year now, we humbly remain a very new student in the ways of this remarkable little town.

One modest advantage that comes with newcomer status is an opportunity to observe. And since, as they say in the South, we have “no dog” in this particular fight, it was interesting and reassuring to listen to all seven candidates at the election forum organized by the League of Women Voters last Wednesday night. While there were many differences in style and points of view, our lasting impression was that St. Michaels was lucky to have such a talented rooster of thoughtful, devoted citizens willing to serve the community.

As each candidate responded to questions from the moderator, there seemed to be a growing consensus that St. Michaels, blessed as it is with good citizens and balanced budgets, still faces some real financial challenges ahead. With limited resources, the town still is charged with providing an effective police force, find funds for tourism promotion, as well offer meaningful support to the retail sector as it recovers from the recession. There seemed to be very little debate however that town government must lead in the years ahead.

It was a very positive sign that all seven candidates agreed to cooperate with new financial disclosure requirements recently mandated by the State of Maryland even though the town has made a formal request for a waiver. It was also encouraging to note that all seven candidates were eager to have more transparency and civility in how the town itself conducts its business.

Sadly, we also noticed during the election that the Miles Point controversy remains a sore wound for some in the community. While we sense that many, if not most, have recovered and eager to “move on,” we note that others have a lingering mistrust of local government as a result of this decade long battle.

It may be of some relief to acknowledge that most towns experience their own version of a Miles Point controversy at some point in their history. How quickly those communities recover is a test of the overall health of the town and its citizens. With that in mind, we have little doubt St. Michaels will very soon enter a new phase of positive civic engagement, and demonstrate once again how special a town it is.

Filed Under: Editorial, Opinion

Letter to Editor: What Have Current Commissioners Accomplished ?

May 7, 2012 By Spy Desk Leave a Comment

What have St. Michaels Town Commissioners Donna Hunt, Joanne Clark and Michael Brady accomplished over the part four years that would make them good candidates for reelection on May 7th? We should all take a close look at the answer to this question.

Together they have managed to control town costs and actually decrease the size of the town government over the past 4 years while increasing town services. They have instituted a full time police force and, while the county reports and increase in the crime rate St. Michaels reports a decrease in our crime rate by more then 17% last year alone. Together they have dramatically reduced town debt. They brought the Miles Point Era to an end. They are driving the county to complete our sewer project and are on the verge of completing the towns street repair project. They reduced the costs of collecting trash by instituting a curbside-recycling program that included everyone. And, they reduced taxes. Not just your property taxes but the business taxes as well, and not just one year but two years in a row. There is no other town in Maryland that can say these words.

There are a few out there that say the credit belongs to them and it is time for a change. A change to what? What is better then increased services for less taxes? Why not reelect Commissioners Hunt, Clark and Brady so they can do more of what they do best for us all!

Mike Estrella

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion

Letter to Editor: Vote Marie Martin and Ann Borders on May 7

May 6, 2012 By Spy Desk 1 Comment

On Monday, May 7th St. Michaels goes to the polls to elect three Commissioners. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Businesses are suffering, the real estate market is sluggish, and Talbot’s historic streetscape is in peril. We need commissioners who can see the big picture, who listen to their constituents, and who will pursue a future in the best of interests of us all.

St. Michaels Preservation Coalition is a group of Town residents and business owners who are committed to open, effective, and responsive local government. We have followed the candidates, read their campaign materials, and studied their records. Two candidates stand head and shoulder above the rest—Marie Martin and Ann Borders. Their platform includes:

revitalizing St. Michaels—our local economy and our quality of life
preserving our historic district, particularly Talbot Street; and
making sure our taxes are competitive with other Eastern Shore towns

Ann and Marie not only “talk the talk”; their track record proves they mean what they say.

As for the incumbents, we find it troubling when they attempt to take credit for the work of others. In Ms. Hunt’s case, for example, claiming credit for the property tax reduction is quite a stretch when she argued vociferously against it last year.

Even more troubling is the incumbents’ apparent confusion about whom they are supposed to represent. In 2010, all three voted to deny over 200 citizens’ right to referendum on the Miles Point- development zoning ordinance—even though that right is explicitly guaranteed by the Town Charter. Their proposed solution? Change the Town Charter!

No, let’s change our Commissioners. Vote Marie Martin and Ann Borders on May 7!

Marian T. Brown, Patt Howell, Cathy Stinchcomb
Bonnie Camarata, Carol Parlett, Barbara Svenson
Mike Dann, Bev Pratt, Paula Vlahovich
Frank & Jane Hopkinson

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion

Letter to Editor: Support Brady, Clark and Hunt

May 5, 2012 By Spy Desk

Residents of St. Michaels!

Monday, May 7th is Election Day.

Make your vote for continued Public Safety and Community Services count!

Please Vote for: Michael Brady, Joanne Clark and Donna Hunt.

These three commissioners have 14 years combined experience in dealing with town issues and they know how to get the job done!

Representing the Residents they have:

Reduced your property taxes and the business taxes as well.

Lowered long term debt.

Brought the Miles Point Era to an end.

Reduced town staff by almost 15% while maintaining services.

Instituted Curbside recycling for the entire town.

Instituted zoning changes supporting businesses.

Protected residents from unwanted noise.

Completed the Nature Trail and Muskrat Park.

Will soon complete a street project that will repair 25 town roadways.

Supported a well trained full time Police Force that lowered our crime rate by 17% in 2011.

Ensured annual funding of our Volunteer Fire Department.

Please Vote to insure Public Safety, continued Services to Residents and the Viability of Our Town.

Vote for Experience!

Barry Gillman

St. Michaels

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion

Letter to Editor: Support Martin and Borders for Commissioner

May 4, 2012 By Spy Staff

Marie Martin and Ann Borders should be elected St Michaels Town Commissioners on May 7. They bring a combination of real business experience and an important vision for the future of St. Michaels. Let’s give credit where credit is due: it was Ann’s financial analysis that resulted in lowering the property tax rate by 22% over two years. And it was Marie who spearheaded efforts to revitalize Muskrat Park. When citizens lead, government officials will eventually follow.

Ann and Marie understand the fiduciary responsibility that rests with Commissioners—providing necessary services in an effective and competitive manner. We need Marie and Ann’s experience and vision in these economic times.

James A. Valliant
St. Michaels

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion

Op-Ed: The Things That Really Matter by Kevin Waterman

May 4, 2012 By Kevin Waterman

My son Liam turned 1 last week. It’s probably cliché to say, but it does put things in perspective.

Obviously it makes me feel kind of old, even though I’m only 24. And it makes a lot of my other accomplishments feel a lot less important in comparison.

But what I want to focus on (unsurprisingly?) is how it related to my thoughts on politics, specifically how I prioritize issues.

If you look at my personal blog history you probably can see an evolution in my thought and what issues I focused on most.

For example I used to focus a lot on somewhat abstract philosophic issues and things like tax policy and have since shifted to immigration, along with the drug war and land use policy.

Thinking about Liam’s birthday has helped clarify in my mind why I’ve come to care about the issues I do.

While my concern in politics was, and remains to be, the defense and promotion of individual liberty, there’s a lot of room for varied priorities under that umbrella. What has come to concern me the most is what I think of as “experienced liberty and tyranny.”

What do I mean by this? Let’s go back to the evolution in thought over the course of this blog.

Taxes matter, I certainly won’t dispute that. However, given the current political realities, changes in our tax code will have minimal impact on the lived experiences of almost everyone.

On the other hand, things like our current immigration policy or the War on Drugs have a massive impact on people’s lives, one that is far more visceral and destructive than the tax code.

Marginal tax rate brackets creep up a few percentage points? That’s a negative change and one I’d just as soon Liam could avoid. But the War on Drugs? Statistically speaking it’s a pretty good bet he might end up trying marijuana some day and that choice could land him in jail, unalterably changing his life for the worse.

Given that kind of disparity, I think it is far more important to focus on working to change those areas where government is actively destroying people’s lives, or at least significantly harming or limiting their well-being.

As a young man still in college or just out of it, it’s easy and fun to spend time worrying about abstract questions of philosophy (actually it still is and I do think it’s important to engage in the exercise).

As a Republican, particularly one who holds office within the Party, it’s easy to go along and be vocal about the mainstream issues like taxes and spending.

But it’s not enough to do what’s easy and being a father has made that clearer than ever to me.

I want to work to make a world I can feel better about Liam and others his age growing up in. And that means focusing on the issues that are doing the most to limit individual liberty and harm people’s well-being, things like restrictive immigration policy, the War on Drugs, prohibitions on same-sex marriage, pointless military adventurism, and occupational licensing that helps incumbent businesses & stifles competition.

These aren’t sexy or high status issues and I don’t begrudge anyone their priorities. But I hope others will come to see things the way I have come to; positive changes in these fields can yield immediate and significant improvement in the lives of many and make the world a noticeably better place for those who will follow after us.

Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

Letter to Editor: In Response to Mike Estrella

May 4, 2012 By Spy Staff

I read Mike Estrella’s letter regarding the re-election of St. Michaels’ commissioners (Brady, Clark, and Hunt) with great interest. What he says is essentially true, but he doesn’t give you the behind-the-scenes negotiating which resulted in these “accomplishments” and credits the wrong commissioners with bringing about the change.

The town has had a full time police department for years. The commissioners have supported it to the tune of $870,000 for FY12 and are budgeting $856,000 for FY13. The only “part time” issue is that the police chief is not even a resident of Talbot County, he lives in Baltimore County and rents Mr. Estrella’s house when he is in town and on duty.

Mike states that they “brought the Miles Point Era to an end”. In fact, they voted more often than not to give the developer whatever they wanted. All three voted to deny over 200 citizens the right for a referendum on the approval of the TND, as clearly permitted by the town charter.

Only when commissioner duPont, supported by Vlahovich, secured a buyer for the property (introduced by a concerned citizen) did they yield to the wishes of most of the citizens.

After vigorous arguments presented by concerned citizens and the other two commissioners, Brady, Clark, and Hunt did vote to approve curbside recycling.

When persuaded by the other commissioners and a number of citizens who showed that the town had an inflated budget, they realized that the tax rate for the town could be reduced and did so. This was helped by the resignation of the Town Clerk/Manager who was replaced with an administrator who was already on the payroll.

Mr. Estrella does not feel change is necessary, but the facts show that these three incumbents have only made progressive moves for the town after duPont, Vlahovich and many concerned citizens convinced them that it is necessary.

Gary Nylander
St. Michaels

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion

Why I’m Running by Joanne R. Clark

May 2, 2012 By Spy Staff

I was elected to the commission in May 2006 and again in May 2010 to serve out the term of a commissioner who resigned. I served as Commission President, June 2008-September 2009, and as Vice President since September 2009. Also in September 2009, I achieved the distinction of Fellow, from the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance, University of Maryland. I have filed for re-election because Town government plays an important role in shaping our community and our future. Decisions regarding policy development, financial actions and service delivery affect every citizen and every segment of our community. Town government, therefore, must not only deal with immediate needs – it must also plan for and invest in the future.

During my tenure as a Commissioner, I have addressed a wide range of financial, infrastructure and other community issues. Key achievements include: reductions in operating costs; reductions in property and business taxes; reductions in long-term debt; the adoption of zoning measures that support business opportunities and protect residential neighborhoods; the renovation of 21 town streets and related sewer and storm water drainage systems; waterfront improvements; expansion and improvement of town parks; completion of the nature trail; and establishing curb-side re-cycling. None of these things, however, were achieved without collaboration within past and present commissions and effective working relationships with county and state agencies.

If re-elected, I will continue to promote:

More effective communication and transparency to ensure government accountability for actions and decision-making. This will include:
Developing a more informative, up-to-date and interactive web-site; adopting a strengthened ethics ordinance and financial disclosure requirements for elected officials as recommended by our Ethics Board.
Fiscal actions that support our current and future financial and economic stability to include:
Investment in tourism; the adoption of measures, including short-term incentives, to encourage business expansion and development; additional reductions in employee benefit costs by transferring out of the State retirement system to a 401k plan; multi-year budget planning for small capital projects or purchases; and maintaining the reserve fund created from the sale of the electric utility.
Infrastructure improvements that address community-wide needs. In the near-term this includes:
Completion of the last phase of the street renovation project and related sewer and storm water drainage system repairs; replacing and repairing damaged curbs and adjacent sidewalks along Talbot street; construction of a new public restroom facility at the head of Mill Street; replacing or otherwise stabilizing the collapsing bulkhead along the cove in Hollis Park.
Maintaining an experienced, well-trained police force for the safety and security of our citizens and visitors. I strongly support:
Staffing and equipping the police department to meet today’s community policing requirements; and maintaining police coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Policies that protect residential neighborhoods, encourage business opportunities and support non-profit organizations. To support and sustain a thriving, diverse, multi-generational community we must ensure policies:
Acknowledge the needs of all segments of our community; respect the town’s history and character; and encourage the delivery of meaningful services to our citizens.

Prior to moving to St. Michaels full-time in 2002, I served for 27 plus years with the Central Intelligence Agency in the field of Human Resources, retiring in 2000. During my career I managed financial and employee resources and provided policy guidance on recruitment, staffing, retention and employee relations. I also conducted management inspections as a member of the CIA Office of Inspector General.

Joanne R. Clark

St. Michaels

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion, Special Event

Letter to Editor: Let’s Get the Facts Straight on St Michaels

May 1, 2012 By Spy Staff

To say that Commissioner Brady, Clark, and Hunt reduced property taxes is disingenuous. These Commissioners voted consistently to maintain the tax rate of .64 for the tax years 2008, 09, and 10 at the same time our property assessment values were going up. Long after the real estate bubble had broken. It was Commissioner duPont (Town Treasurer) who brought forth the initiative to pay off the debt service street bond, and proposed a tax decrease from .64 to .52 for the tax year 2011. Commissioner Clark using her own mathematics countered with a .58 rate, with Commissioners Brady and Hunt following along, ignoring the recommendation of the Town Treasurer.

For the tax year 2012 the Town Treasurer recommendation a mile rate of .50 and again these three Commissioners choose to set a higher rate, this time .52. (Wonder where they got that number?) These incumbents have consistently maintained higher tax rates then recommended in every area.

Since being elected in 2010 it is Commissioner duPont who has been the driving force for reducing cost. Prior to the tax year 2011 Town revenues went up every year, and these three incumbent found ways to spend it. Just voting for an initiative does not make it your idea. We need Commissioners that are proactive and can change with the time. Not Commissioners that fight progress every step of the way and take credit that it is not due.

We have four new candidates competing for the 3 seats opening up; let’s give them a chance.

Virginia I. Albert
St Michaels, MD

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion

Why I’m Running by Ann Borders

April 30, 2012 By Spy Staff

I first started coming to the Town of St. Michaels in grade school. My Aunt Helen and Uncle Ed owned and operated Newnam’s market at the corner of Talbot and Cherry Street for many years. Over the years, I watched St Michaels grow into this wonderful little Town where everyone wanted to be. I purchased my Aunt’s home on Cherry Street in 1998, and after moving here full-time in 2009, it did not take me long to get involved.

I am running for Commissioner because I believe it’s time to reinvest in St. Michaels’ future. You only need to walk down Talbot Street to realize the Town’s historic character is in danger. This is a serious concern because tourists come for the historic charm and tourism drives our local economy. So many empty storefronts on Talbot Street are a sign we may be losing our economic vitality and, with it, our small-town quality of life.

My background is in accounting, and since 2009, I’ve spent many hours attending Commissioners’ meetings, reviewing policies, and going over Town finances. I found plenty of places to trim the fat without impacting services. I am proud that, based on my research, the Town cut its property tax rate by 12% last year! But we still pay the highest taxes of any town in Talbot County, so there is more work to be done.

St. Michaels needs Commissioners who will work as a team and maintain a professional and respectful atmosphere. We also need:

Policies and procedures that ensure the Town resources are managed and used effectively.
Thriving businesses and job opportunities that also protect our fragile environment and residents’ quality of life.
Ordinances that are clear, effective, and enforceable.
An open and welcoming local government where residents are well-informed and encouraged to get involved.

I am asking for your vote because as a Commissioner, I will pursue these goals, and together, we can pursue a bright future for St. Michaels.

Filed Under: Letters to Editor, Opinion, Special Event