jICOMICO COUNTY - Wicomico County

j
ICOMICO COUNTY
Annual State of the County Newsletter
December 2013
W Y
ear
In This Issue
riends
It is my honor and great delight to present this, my annual “Report to the People,” to share with you the posi ve and produc ve things underway in our
community. The Wicomico County Charter requires the County Execu ve to
present such a report describing the financial health of the county as of the
end of the Fiscal Year, in this case, June 30, 2013. However, it has been my
tradi on to expand the news we present to include a number of other things
happening in our county that have had a direct impact on our quality of life
throughout the calendar year.
To be sure, it is quite possible that our fiscal house has never been stronger.
In the face of the toughest economic challenges since the Great Depression,
we have successfully re-calibrated our opera ng budget, department by department, to the point where expenses are ghtly controlled and seizing opportuni es for increased savings is the charge of every manager. By employing strict, conserva ve principles of money management, our reserve pools
are quite strong and while we cannot yet speak of “economic recovery” in
Wicomico County, evidence abounds that the worst is behind us and that we
are on track to once again become known as the Hub of Delmarva.
In last year's report, I spoke of the strong bond ra ngs the County enjoyed on
Wall Street as a result of our skillful management of the public treasury. That
confidence by America’s top financial analysts allowed the County to sell our
Friends, cont. on page 2
The County will be launching a new,
interactive website in January 2014!
The new website has streamlined
navigation, new functions, better tools
and a new visual design—making it
easier for you to find the information
you need.
•
County’s Credit Receives
Upgrade
•
New Director of Public Works
•
Croswell Named Telecommunicator of the Year
•
SAO Groundbreaking Ceremony
•
Blake Named Correctional
Officer of the Year
•
Fitness Council Launches Live
Healthy, Wicomico
•
Public Water for Morris Mill
Area Residents
•
Pollitt Wraps Up Year As
MACo President
Friends, cont. from page 1
bonds with compe ve interest
rates and start the construc on of
the new Benne Middle School as
well as re-finance exis ng debt for
a significant savings for our taxpayers. This year, we were thrilled to
learn that two of the three ra ng
agencies actually upgraded our
bond ra ngs, one by two full
measures. This is almost unheard
of, especially while in the throes of
a na onally diminished economy. Yet those who are
best qualified to judge such ma ers state empha cally
that our administra on is a solid and true steward of
your public tax-dollars and I am deeply grateful for the
strong, professional team we have working on our behalf.
Addi onally, not content to dri aimlessly on the des of
economic uncertainty, my administra on has aggressively been conduc ng rigorous self-evalua ons of the services we strive to provide our ci zens and the likelihood
of sustaining or even improving upon those services well
into the future. One thing is certain; we will never return
to the heady years of unbridled specula ve development
and expansion of the last decade that led to the collapse
of the housing market. Most economists now agree,
a er the fact, that the housing boom of recent memory
was not sustainable and was doomed to collapse. We
must all now adjust to a “New Normal” which means we
will work our way through a period of recovery where
economic progress, especially in rural America, will be
somewhat restrained as we commit ourselves to growing
our way back from Recession.
So, how do we do it? That great American philosopher,
Yogi Berra, once said that “if you don’t know where
you’re going, you might not get there.” Fortunately for
the Yankees, he was a be er catcher. However, he was
right that the successful communi es are those who plan
ahead and develop a vision for where they want to go
and how they’re going to get there. For most of this year,
under our ini a ve and leadership, a new ci zen task
force of execu ve decision-makers from all walks of
county life have been mee ng through the facilita on of
BEACON, at the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury
University, to help develop just such a vision. We will be
releasing the results of that exercise very soon a er the
publica on of this Report.
Our Visioning Ac on Commi ee will propose roadmaps
to achieve sustainable, effec ve progress in the fields of
Economic Development, City/County Synergy, Educa on,
Transporta on and Watershed Improvement.
The
Page 2
strongest partnerships between county government and
leaders in business, educa on, agriculture, environment,
municipal government and others are being forged and
we are developing short-term, mid-term and long-range
goals that will define Wicomico County as a community
with the highest quality of life for many years to come.
In the mean me, our highest obliga on is the day-to-day
service we provide to you, our ci zens. As you read
through this report, you will see that despite the challenges felt from reduced resources, our commitment to
quality service has never been higher. Observe how our
County departments and the highly-mo vated professionals we employ, are reaching out to improve their
own qualifica ons and the level of service they offer in
support of our home. Our year of 2013 has been one of
tremendous success in the face of some fairly troublesome challenges. Yet we con nue to do well because
our community is strong and determined to build the
kind of place where people want to live, work and raise
their families.
I am honored to con nue to lead our march and our vision in partnership with you...building bridges, building
community.
County’s FY13 Fiscal
Performance Improves
According to the official Independent Auditor’s Report
from PKS & Company, P.A., the county’s financial performance improved in FY13.
Audit highlights include:
•
The county’s government-wide results of opera ons
showed an increase in net assets of about $6.82 million. This is due primarily to the General Fund’s revenues exceeding expenses, offset by opera ng losses
in the business-type ac vi es.
•
The county’s overall general fund balance posi on
improved by $4.3 million. There are two one- me
events that contributed $2.2 million to this outcome;
impact fees were $900,000 above budget from ini aon of two large apartment complexes and debt service expenses were $1.3 million less than budget due
to a successful refunding ac on.
•
General fund FY13 actual expenses were $3.4 million
less than budget. General fund new revenues for
FY13 increased by nearly $4 million over FY12.
as the Delmarva Peninsula’s economic
and commercial center. They further
noted that Wicomico County's “strong
financial management prac ces and
policies should support its strong financial performance.”
Bond Refunding
Saves Taxpayers
Nearly A Million
Director of Finance Director, Andrew Mackel and Director of Administration, Wayne
Strausburg accompanied County Executive Pollitt to Wall Street.
Credit Agencies Upgrade County Ratings
Wicomico County received historic upgrades in the county’s credit ra ngs
from two of the three New York bond ra ng agencies as Wall Street published the annual assessments of the financial health of the county's government.
In recogni on of the County’s outstanding financial performance, Moody’s
upgraded the county’s ra ng to Aa2; while Standard & Poor's (S&P) upgraded the county’s general obliga on bond two notches to AA+, just a
single step from the highest ra ng of AAA. Fitch Ra ngs maintained the
County’s already strong ra ng of AA-/Stable. Historically, sa sfactory reserve levels and very strong management condi ons were among the reasons cited for the upgrades.
Bond Upgrades Mean Savings for Residents
The affirma on by Fitch Ra ngs and the upgrade by both Moody’s and
S&P allows the County to issue bonds for capital improvement projects at
a lower cost to residents. A er October’s bond sale, the Wicomico County
Council unanimously voted to accept the bid on the county’s bond issue
made by Bank of America/Merrill Lynch with a true interest cost of 3.295
percent, the lowest rate of the 9 bids received for this offering.
“Receiving historic upgrades from the New York Bond Ra ng Agencies,
including a double-level boost from S&P, is a resounding endorsement by
the country’s top financial analysts that Wicomico County is at the top of
our game, “said County Execu ve Rick Polli , “Each agency lauded our administra on’s strong financial management, budgetary discipline and fiscal
policies in our handling of the public’s tax dollars. Our ci zens can be
proud that their fiscal house is not just in order, but is strong and in very
capable hands.”
According to S&P, the AA+ ra ng upgrade was based on the County’s role
On Tuesday, November 26, 2013 the
county closed on a $14 million bond
refunding transac on that will save
taxpayers $850,000 in future debt interest expense.
The refunding was provided by a direct
bank loan with PNC Bank at an interest
rate of 2.94%. The debt being refunded was originally issued in 2008 primarily for major educa on construc on
projects.
Polli said, “As County Execu ve, I am
commi ed to iden fying and seizing
opportuni es to do be er with our taxpayers’ money. This refunding exercise
will save the county nearly $1 million in
future expense. This is further jus ficaon of Wall Street’s high confidence in
our stewardship of the public trust as
evidenced by our recent historic bond
ra ngs upgrades.”
The County would like to thank their
financial advisory team at Davenport &
Company led by Sam Ke erman, Joe
Mason and Phil Weisshaar as well as
Lindsey Rader, Bond Council at the firm
of Funk & Bolton for their diligent work
in crea ng this value for the county.
2013 Economic
Initiatives A Success
In an effort to improve the county’s
compe ve posi on, a ract new busiEconomic con nued on page 14
nesses
Page 3
Pollitt Appointed to Task
Force
This summer, Execu ve Polli was
appointed to serve on the Local
and Regional Transporta on Funding Task Force, repor ng to the
Governor, the President of the
Maryland Senate and the Speaker
of the Maryland House of Delegates.
The task force was established by
the 2013 session of the General
Assembly and was charged with
making recommenda ons on a
range of op ons that could be
made available to county and municipal governments to generate
new revenues to fund transit and
highway projects a er the loss of
more than 90% of tradi onal State
Highway User Revenues (HUR’s). As
president of the Maryland Associaon of Coun es, Execu ve Polli
held one of two seats assigned to
county government. Through the
course of the group’s delibera ons,
Polli argued strenuously for a restora on of HUR’s ci ng the comprehensive blow to local budgets
caused by the loss of State money,
locally generated by the gasoline
tax and motor vehicles registra on
fees.
In the end, the report from the
Task Force acknowledged the historical benefit of HUR’s and the
tremendous struggle many communi es will have in requiring new
taxes and fees from their local popula ons. Polli pledged to con nue advoca ng for a phased-in restora on of HUR’s un l the legislature agrees to acknowledge the
tremendous contribu ons our ci zens are already making to Statewide transporta on needs.
Page 4
Exploring Economic Development Opportunities In Taiwan
The first week of September found Execu ve Polli joining 9 other county officials from around the country as guests of the government of Taiwan in a visit
designed to create and expand economic and cultural es between the people
of the United States and the ci zens of the Republic of China.
As the only group member from Maryland and represen ng one of only 12 US
States with an official presence on Taiwan, Polli was welcomed enthusias cally by his Chinese hosts. Polli spent the week mee ng with representa ves
of Taiwan’s American Ins tute, Mainland Affairs Council, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, External Trade Development Council, Ministry of Economic Affairs and
several local businesses and the City governments of Taipei and Taichung. The
group also spent an incredible day and night at beau ful Sun Moon Lake, oneme home of President Chiang Kai-shek and had a deligh ul mee ng with one
of Taiwan’s leading industrialists at Taipei
101, fi h tallest building in the world.
Polli said the experience moved him
deeply as he has always had an abiding
respect for the Taiwanese people in their
determina on to live in freedom despite
serious challenges from their giant neighbor to the west on the mainland of China.
Since returning to the USA, Polli has
maintained his friendship with the representa ves at Taiwan’s Consulate in Washington, D.C. He hopes that these rela onships will help foster new business and
educa onal opportuni es for Wicomico
County and the Republic of China.
crews unveiled new equipment to
help preserve county roads and
make them safer for the traveling
public.
The new aggregate recyclers allow
County crews to more effec vely
and economically fill potholes using hot mix asphalt. The equipment
keeps the asphalt at an appropriate
temperature to se le and bond to
the surface, allowing for permanent, pothole repair.
Lee Beauchamp, Director of Public Works
Beauchamp
Named New
Director of
Public Works
This July, Lee Beauchamp began
as the new Department of Public Works Director for the County.
Beauchamp oversees the county’s infrastructure, including
installa on, maintenance and
repair of roads. In addi on,
Beauchamp will supervise the
county’s recycling and landfill
opera ons of the Solid Waste
division.
Polli stated, “His work experience both in Salisbury and New
York will be of tremendous benefit in addressing our par cular
needs. Being a na ve of the
area with a keen understanding
and love of our community will
be a prime mo vator for Lee
and was another significant factor in our selec on of him.”
“We can install a permanent pavement repair any season of the year,
thereby reducing the need to connually maintain a temporary repair in the winter when hot mix is
not available,” said Lee Beauchamp
- Director of Public Works, “This
also saves the County in trucking
costs to deliver small batches of
asphalt from the plant. It’s like having a mobile asphalt plant available
all year long.”
Previously, crews used a “cold
patch” – a temporary fix that required rou ne maintenance. The
cost of cold mix asphalt was approximately $125 per ton. The new
equipment will allow the department to produce its own quality
hot mix from le over asphalt millings at a frac on of the cost and
also allows crews to repair more
potholes each day.
To report a pothole on County roads,
please contact the Roads Division at
410-548-4872.
Oyster Recovery Program Begins
Wicomico County Execu ve Rick Polli
and the Oyster Recovery Partnership
(ORP) announced a partnership to use
county transfer sta ons as public collec on sites for the recycling of used
oyster shells.
“We are very pleased that Wicomico
County has joined the Shell Recycling
Alliance,” said Stephan Abel, Execu ve
Director of the Oyster Recovery Partnership. “County Execu ve Rick Polli
and his staff immediately saw the value of the program and have been big
supporters ever since. With the new
Maryland tax credit, these drop-off
sites will benefit Wicomico County
businesses and individuals who recycle
as well as ORP’s important oyster restora on efforts.”
Wicomico County joins the ORP Shell
Recycling Alliance — the region’s largest group of restaurants, caterers, seafood distributors, ci zens and others
who recycle oyster shell to aid in Chesapeake Bay oyster restora on. Each
recycled shell can provide homes for
10 new oysters.
The Wicomico County transfer sta ons
are the designated drop-off sites for
used oyster shells. The drop-off sites
demonstrate the County’s
commitment to oyster restoraon and recycling in Maryland.
These recycling loca ons will
allow area restaurants and
residents to take advantage of
the new oyster shell recycling
tax credit recently signed into
law in the State of Maryland.
DPW—Roads Unveils New Equipment
Star ng this past July, residents and restaurants became
In September, Department of
Public Works – Roads Division
ORP conƟnued page 11
Executive Pollitt demos new Roads Division equipment
Page 5
Light of Literacy Awards
The 1st annual Light of Literacy
Awards ceremony was held on
Thursday, April 11th and hosted by
the Friends of the Wicomico Public
Library. These 11 award recipients
are shining examples of the best
and brightest of our community.
Business Luminary – Dollar General for their work suppor ng literacy through the Dollar General
Literacy Founda on and the contribu ons of the local Dollar General Stores.
Local Author Luminary – Larry
Points for his children's nature
books about the Eastern Shore
and his work visi ng classrooms to
promote reading and nature.
Adult Luminary – Judy Burns for
her 20+ years as an ESL volunteer,
holding twice a week classes, open
to all, to encourage and promote
English Language instruc on.
Non‐Profit Organiza on Luminary
- The Salisbury Jaycees for their
Yearly “Read Across America” program and their con nuing work
promo ng reading through their
Safe Treats and Christmas Shopping programs.
Higher Educa on Luminary – Dr.
Elinor Cubbage who has been
teaching English at Wor-Wic for 36
years and is responsible for ini a ng many wri ng and reading
programs during that me.
Educator Luminary – Jane Long for
promo ng reading through her
work with the Wicomico Middle
School and the Family Literacy
Council.
Youth Luminary — Cleon Deal,
Roman Fuentes, Caleb Grall, Jock
Simon, and Quincy Todd for their
Page 6
2013 Light of Literacy Award Winners
work through “Athletes as Readers
& Leaders” at Parkside High
School. These five young men travel to area primary schools to promote reading, character development and to provide strong male
role models for the students in the
area.
Congratula ons to the winners!
Their work to promote the power
of literacy to improve and transform lives should not only be recognized, but imitated.
MD Air National Guard
Shows Appreciation to SBY
The MD Air Na onal Guard's 135th
Airli Group made a special stop
in August to show apprecia on to
Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico
Regional Airport (SBY) for their
support of the airli unit’s flying
opera ons.
Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Kinney
and members of his crew flew the
C-27J to the airport to make the
presenta on to County Execu ve
Rick Polli , Airport Manager Bob
Bryant and Brent Miller, represen ng
the Airport Commission. The Maryland Air Na onal Guard's 135th Airli
Group was a frequent visitor to the
SBY Airport and contributed to the
record number of 13,713 military aircra opera ons recorded by the SBY
Air Traffic Control Tower during
2012.
The United States Air Force recently
decided to deac vate the 135th Airli Group and discon nue the C-27J
program. Lt. Col Kinney commented,
“Your willingness to support our flying opera ons, especially our shortfield landing zone training, has been
unprecedented from a civilian airfield. The Le er of Agreement between the airport and the 135th Airli Group enabled our crews to maximize their local training and prepare
themselves for successful combat
airli in Afghanistan.”
Tammy Croswell, Data Services Technician
Croswell
Named Telecommunicator
of the Year
Tammy Croswell, 911 Center Data
Services Technician, was recognized as Wicomico County’s 2013
Telecommunicator of the Year.
In September, the Maryland
Emergency Numbers Associa on
and Emergency Numbers System
Board recognized Ms. Croswell for
outstanding service and dedicaon to Public Safety through 911
Communica ons.
Department
Formalizes
Citizen Notification Plan
The Department of Emergency
Services formalized a Ci zen
Warning/Alert No fica on Plan
with the objec ve to provide
mely informa on to both residents of and visitors to the county
regarding impending or occurring
extraordinary events that may
impact the safety of individuals.
Components of the plan include: the
Ci zen Warning/Alert Siren System,
NOAA Weather All-Hazards Radios,
Emergency Alert System Messaging,
Wireless Emergency Alerts, local
television & radio, press releases,
Ci zen Telephone No fica on System, County Website Pos ngs, Department of Emergency Services
Website and Facebook Page.
The sirens are tested the first Monday of every month at 7:30pm. During the monthly test, the siren
emits a single 10 second sustained
alert tone.
County Initiates Citizen Warning System
Like Us On Facebook
The specific emergency alerts will
be broadcast over any or all of
the 13 sirens located at local fire
departments and the two maintained by the Wicomico County Department of Emergency Services.
Wicomico’s siren system can be acvated for either the en re county
or for specific affected areas. In the
event of an imminent hazard the
alert tone – which differs from fire
sta on alarms – will sound for a sustained 2 minutes. When the sirens
sound, ci zens should seek shelter
immediately and then tune into local news media for addi onal informa on. Ci zens should not call 9-11 to determine the hazard causing
the ac va on. Wicomico County’s
sirens do not sound an “All Clear”
tone, so ci zens should consult the
news media to learn when the danger has li ed.
The Department of Emergency Services strongly suggests ci zens purchase a NOAA Weather All-Hazards
Radio. NOAA Weather All Hazards
Radios (NWR) are a na onwide network of radio sta ons broadcas ng
con nuous weather informa on
directly from the nearest Na onal
Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official weather service warnings, watches, forecasts and other
hazard informa on 24/7 providing
comprehensive weather and emergency informa on.
Your Department of Emergency
Services is now on Facebook! Our
goal is to provide mely, and valuable informa on to both residents of
and visitors to the county regarding
impending or occurring extraordinary events that may impact the
safety of individuals.
www.facebook.com/
wicomicocountyemergencyservices
SBY Airport
Receives
Award
The Illumina ng Engineering Society
of North America/Avia on Ligh ng
Commi ee awarded the 2012 IES/
ALC Air Carrier Award to the Salisbury-Ocean City: Wicomico Regional
Airport (SBY). This interna onal
award is only given to air carriersized airports with innova ve
ligh ng projects.
Page 7
Recreation,
Parks & Tourism Highlights
The Recrea on Division is a facilitator
of Wicomico County’s quality of life
for its ci zens, providing youth mentoring, life me pursuits, crime preven on, life me fitness and social
connec vity through a dynamic and
diverse program base.
Approximately 275 ac vi es were
offered a rac ng 14,600 registrants
and an a endance surpassing
332,500 visits.
Youth & Civic Center
In FY13, the WY&CC held 777 events,
boos ng the annual total a endance
over 280,000.
Parks Division
The Parks Division oversees the
maintenance of 39 sites, including
1423 acres of land, 23 buildings, 18
parking lots and countless other facili es. In FY13, the Parks Division undertook the following improvement
projects to enhance the County’s
parks and facili es.
projects, including the:
♦
Bulkhead replacement at Nancoke Harbor
♦
Installa on of a new roof of the
White Barn at the Wicomico
Equestrian Center
♦
Building of a new concession
stand for the Delmar Recrea on
Council
♦
Replacement
of
the
tennis
Tourism efforts rely heavily on
the WY&CC, as well Parks and
Recrea on by leveraging their
assets to a ract business to the
County. The impact of leveraging
these assets is as follows:
courts in Centennial Village and
Crooked Oak
♦
Installa on of a new play module at Crooked Oak Playground,
to replace the unit destroyed by
vandals in 2008
WY&CC:
14 events: $5.1 million economic
impact
Recrea on & Parks:
16 events: $12.5 million economic impact
Tourism
The Wicomico County Conven on &
Visitors Bureau’s mission is to promote Wicomico as a des na on for
mee ngs, conven ons, events and
WY&CC Event Type
Number of Shows
Total A endance
Entertainment
66
94,436
Trade Shows
12
7,355
Spor ng Events
62
49,996
Corporate Mee ngs
92
20,167
Educa onal Func ons
33
33,275
Social Recep ons
30
3,201
Fraternal Recep ons
6
1,475
Religious Mee ngs
79
11,325
Government Mee ngs
29
9,205
Rebuilt a boardwalk at Pember
Other Rentals
49
5,329
ton Historical Park.
Public Recrea on
385
38,990
County Gov Mee ngs
38
6,600
Repaired facili es damaged by Hurricane Sandy:
♦
all other tourism related ac vies for the Lower Eastern Shore
of Maryland. Tourism enhances
and contributes to the overall
iden ty and economic well-being
of the county and region. This
year the tourism division hosted
30 events a rac ng almost
300,000 a endees requiring
31,000 hotel rooms to infuse an
es mated $17,569,732 into the
local economy.
Coordinated Program Open Space
Rebuilt the Tyaskin Park Pier and
Bivalve Wharf; both projects
were funded 75% by FEMA and
built to specifica ons to improve
the
chance
of
withstanding
strong storms
♦
Removed fallen trees at Pemberton Historical Park trails and
Roaring Point Park
♦
Page 8
HR Ramps Up
Training
Program
Purchasing
Develops Bid
Portal
Human Resources reestablished
a county-wide training program
for all employees. The courses
included supervisory, equal opportunity/harassment,
safety,
and so ware trainings to minimize County liability and further
educate and develop the county
workforce.
In 2013, the Purchasing Department
worked toward improving the transparency of the bidding process
through the crea on of a bid archive that lists all of the year’s
County bids and bid awards through
a link on the County website. In
addi on, the Department used
eMaryland Marketplace, a
website run by the State,
to promote County bids to
more poten al vendors
and provide more bidders
for various offerings.
County Hosts ACA
Workshops
All County employees and ci zens were offered free educaonal sessions on understanding
the Affordable Health Care
Act. We will con nue to provide
as much informa on to the employees and ci zens as possible,
as it further develops.
County EEOC
Efforts
Wicomico has exceeded all of
the objec ves set forth by the
County’s policies and Equal Employment Opportunity plan. The
Human Resources staff con nues
to par cipate in a number of local events to connect with the
community regarding the County’s equal opportunity ini a ves
and recruitment of the most talented and diverse workforce.
Pay Card System
Implemented
The County has offered its employees a Pay Card system as an
op on to Direct Deposit. Along
with the Employee Self Service,
this new system saves employees check cashing and banking
fees.
much as $40,000 per year once the
plan is fully implemented in 2017.
County Energy Savings
Project Completed
The Energy Savings Project was completed which will result in approximately 20% savings on energy costs
in over 20 County facili es. All upgrades are paid for through the energy savings.
Purchasing Welcomes New Hire
Tanner Pizza joined the
Department to assist in
dealing with the modern
technological bids that are
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Bennett Middle School
now part of all government and business procurement.
The hiring of Tanner Pizza as TechNew Bennett Middle
nical Procurement Specialist provides the County with a knowledgeUnderway
able employee with the skill set
Earlier this year, state and local offineeded to deal with computer, telecials came together for the groundcommunica ons and other technical
breaking of a new Benne Middle
procurements.
School.
New Plan Savings
The Department was also instrumental in working toward saving
the County taxpayer money by bidding the FY14 County Property,
General Liability and Workman’s
Compensa on Insurance and saving
over $230,000 in costs while enhancing some coverage’s on replacement value of property.
The new Benne Middle School is
the result of a tremendous expression of public support from our own
community coupled with an unprecedented investment by the O'MalleyBrown Administra on on behalf of
public school construc on. Its the
perfect example of what State and
county partnership can achieve when
we work together.
In addi on, with the implementaon of the new Print Management
Plan the County should save as
Page 9
Empower
Wicomico
As the Wicomico Partnership for
Families and Children (Local Management Board) keeps it moving,
the focus on promo ng a safe,
healthy and stable, environment
for the children and families of our
County con nues to evolve. Celebra ng another successful year
Wicomico Partnership distributed
over $980,000 in funding to support community programs focusing
on preven on efforts in Wicomico.
Of those funds approximately 30%
went directly to suppor ng Out of
School Time efforts.
Developing and nurturing rela onships with community agencies,
stakeholders, partners, and families con nues to be a high priority.
Efforts are ongoing in ensuring the
iden fica on of needed services
and strengthening consumer relaons throughout our systems of
care. Program coordinators were
challenged to iden fy needed services and then formulate innovave prac ces to assist in comba ng these challenges.
As a response to this challenge and
to be er assist families the Family
Connec on Center Program staff
has become trained in Stepping
Stones to Recovery SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access, and Recovery
(SOAR) providing help to individuals who have serious mental illness
and co-occurring substance use
disorders to successfully access
SSI/SSDI benefits.
Another innova ve prac ce underway is the introduc on of Servant
Leadership as a philosophy for the
systems of care. As leaders in the
community the goal is to serve, to
serve first, and while doing so inspiring others to become healthy,
wiser, freer, self-sufficient and
Page 10
more likely themselves to become
leaders within their families and in
the community.
Another innova ve programming
approach
has been
the addion of an
Ac ve Paren ng of
Teens
workshop.
This workshop has
been added to the
series of
workshops
already offered through the Family
Empowerment Ini a ve. The workshop targets youth in their teen
years and helps provide insight into
communica on barriers with parents
as well as focuses on the realiza on
of their own inherent gi s as individuals and ways to express those talents. This innova ve approach has
been recognized through Ac ve Paren ng Publishers and have sought
out the Family Empowerment Coordinator having requested her services as a Na onally Cer fied Facilitator of this curriculum.
In the second year of implementaon of a new Out of School Time
model, Wicomico Partnership has
funded, iden fied, and brought together a network of out of school
me programs. Funds went to suppor ng 17 different programs including programs operated by State, local and community organiza ons.
Having iden fied a gap in networking
amongst providers of out of school
me programs, a network mee ng
was established to help bring about
communica on and focus on youth
ac vi es and needs in our community. The network was named Empower Wicomico and as a result a first
ever showcase event of youth ac vies was held at the Salisbury Fes -
val. The “It Takes a Village” area
highlighted some of the various
youth ac vi es funded as well as
provided ac vi es at no cost to
families and children a ending the
event.
Empower
Wicomico
has also
launched
a website
specifically
designed for
youth and
families
as well as
Out
of
School Time providers, please visit
the site at empowerwicomico.com
and check out all it has to offer.
As we look forward to the coming
year, Wicomico Partnership for
Families and Children will con nue
to challenge all those working to
be er the lives of children and
families in our community.
Through innova ve “outside the
box” thinking the organiza on will
con nue to ensure that a safe,
healthy, and stable environment is
provided for our children and families in Wicomico County.
ORP continued from page 5
eligible to receive a one dollar tax
credit per bushel of recycled oyster shell, up to $750 a year. The
Wicomico loca ons will have shell
containers near the other recycling bins that will be clearly
marked for shell drop off. Once
individuals or restaurants drop off
their shell, they can register their
dona on
online
at
www.oysterrecovery.org/
sra_forms/SRA_Reg.html to get
their tax credit.
The Oyster Recovery Partnership
will collect the shell and transport
it to Cambridge, MD, where the
shell will be aged and processed
before being returned to the
Chesapeake Bay with baby oysters
a ached.
To learn more about the Shell Recycling Alliance, other public drop
off sites in Maryland or register
your shell drop off amount, visit
www.oysterrecovery.org.
Bridge Guardrails Installed
The Wicomico County Department of Public Works (DPW) –
Roads Division installed guardrails
on 8 bridge loca ons earlier this
year. All of the repairs on the east
side of the county included:
♦
Three Bridges Road
•
Dagsboro Rd
♦
Bethel Road
•
Rum Ridge Rd
♦
Sheppards Crossing Road
•
Naylor Mill Rd
♦
Richardson Road
♦
Burnt Mill Road
The following bridge approaches
are apart of the paving program:
♦
Warren Road
♦
Waste Gate Road
♦
Twilleys Bridge Road
New Fruitland
Convenience Station
Earlier this year, the Department of
Public Works began searching for a
new site for a Convenience Sta on
to serve the southern part of the
county. The site not only needed to serve as a Convenience
Sta on for ci zens but also as a
staging area for large storm debris.
•
Morris Rd
•
Purnell Crossing Rd
•
Three Bridges Rd
•
Sheppards Crossing Rd
•
Bethel Rd
•
Richardson Rd
Weather permi ng, this paving
project will be completed by the
end of December.
A er mee ng with residents
and hearing their concerns, a
property on Walnut Tree Road
was selected. The Department
began quickly working to address residents’ concerns. Trees
have been planted to serve as a
buffer and the entrance paved
for dust control.
The Public Works Department is in
the final design stages of a permanent structure and hopes to begin
construc on in the Spring or early
Summer.
County Launches
Paving Program
The Roads Division announced the
following roads to be paved as part
of the fall paving program:
•
Sixty Foot Rd
•
Morris Leonard Rd
Wicomico
County Day for
MACo
In June, Polli hosted elected officials from across the state as part of
the Maryland Associa on of Counes (MACo) Board of Directors
Spring Board Retreat.
The board meets annually to engage in strategic planning for the
associa on and learn more about
the host County.
Page 11
Strausburg ReNamed to Commission
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new SAO Office
SAO Office Complex Underway
In June, Wicomico County Execu ve Rick Polli and State’s A orney Ma Maciarello
held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility that will accommodate the
staff of the State’s A orney’s Office (SAO) and the Child Advocacy Center. The SAO
is currently housed in the County Courthouse.
The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is a mul disciplinary team made up of inves gators from the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office, Salisbury Police Department, Maryland State Police, Department of Social Services and therapists from Life Crisis Center. The CAC will have a small medical suite for a physician who partners with the
CAC. It will also have interview rooms for inves gators and rooms for the CAC's crucial therapy component.
The mission of the CAC is to protect and heal the most vulnerable members of our
community, our children. The office will provide more room for the provision of vicm/witness services. It will be a center for inves ga on and prosecu on of cases
involving neglect, physical and sexual abuse.
The new facility at 309 East Main Street, Salisbury will provide security enhancements for the greater protec on of employees, officers and ci zens visi ng the
State’s A orney’s Office and Child Advocacy Center. The building is expected to be
completed and occupancy taken within the first quarter of 2014.
Officers and members of the Commission on Women (not pictured: Joan H. Mulvanny)
Page 12
Director of Administra on,
Wayne Strausburg, will serve
a second term on the Governor’s Commission on Small
Business. The 26-member
Commission works to further
improve Maryland’s business
environment by recommending to the Governor ac ons
that remove barriers and
expand the vitality of Maryland’s small business community.
Pollitt Reestablishes
Commission
On May 20, 2013, Pyda Sterling (Chair), A. Kaye Kenney
(Co-chair), Maureen McNeill
(Secretary) and Vanessa
Cooper (Treasurer) were
sworn in as officers for the
Commission on Women.
As part of Execu ve Polli ’s
‘Building Bridges, Building
Community’ concept, Polli
views the Commission on
Women as a vital resource
and advocacy group for women in the community.
The Commission on Women
is a non-par san organiza on
dedicated to enriching the
lives of women and families
by focusing on issues of importance and concern to
them including educa on,
economic
opportuni es,
health care, social issues and
legisla on.
achievement cer ficate from the
Maryland Commission for Correconal Standards for a aining 100%
compliance with standards for Adult
Correc onal Facili es.
The Commission staff audits correconal facili es and private home
deten on monitoring agencies to
determine levels of compliance, develop audit reports and provide
technical assistance to correct areas
of noncompliance.
Correctional Officer II Richelle Blake
Blake Named
Correctional
Officer of the
Year
Officer Richelle Blake COII is the
2013 recipient of the Correc onal
Officer of the Year award for the
Department of Correc ons. COII
Blake began working with the Department of Correc ons in October 2011. She is described as hard
-working — having mastered many
du es and has excelled in the Central Booking Unit.
Officer Blake is always willing to
do more than her share, always on
me for duty, helps others and
always displays a professional image. In considera on for her highlevel of performance as a rela vely new officer she was named Correc onal Officer of the Year.
Based on her performance, she is
also a recipient of the Governor’s
Award for Crime Preven on.
Department
Receives State
Recognition
The Department of Correc ons
was awarded a recogni on of
mented a new Civilian Road Crew
Program u lizing offenders who
are on proba on or in Drug Court
to work on county-road crews.
This work sa sfies their community
service requirements, Monday
through Friday, and assists in the
maintenance of roads and ditches
in the county.
Check Presented to The
United Way
In January, the employees of
Wicomico County, MD presented
the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore Execu ve Director, Kathleen Mommé and Board Member,
Dwight Miller with a check in the
amount of $15,230.60 for their
2012 support of the annual United
Way campaign.
New JMS System
Installed
In July a new jail management informa on system was launched that
includes new technologies to enhance security, efficiency and
offender history repor ng.
“We are extremely grateful to have
the con nued support of Wicomico County employees. This year’s
record campaign shows their commitment to help our neighbors in
need,” said Kathleen Mommé, Execu ve Director.
Committed to
Community
Various community outreach efforts
undertaken by employees included
Red Ke le campaign dona ons and
volunteer bell ringers, HALO food
and clothing drives, and the United
Way 2013 Campaign se ng a department record of pledging over
$7350.
New Civilian Road
Crew Program
This year the Department imple-
Special congratula ons to the tremendous efforts of the Department of Correc ons team of cocoordinators and employees who
donated over $5,000 - a 25% increase over last year alone. The
employees responded when United Way representa ves explained
that outside of government the
United Way of the Lower Eastern
Shore is the biggest supporter of
services in our community.
Page 13
County
Receives Bay
Trust Grant
The County has been awarded
$49,043 from the Chesapeake Bay
Trust. The grant funds will be used
to pay a
significant
por on of
the
engineering services associated with Phase I Watershed Implementa on Projects,
which consists of seven stormwater management retrofit projects on publicly-owned land.
The program is a partnership of
the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the U.S.
Environmental Protec on Agency
(EPA) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The
EPA funding comes through the
Chesapeake Bay Implementa on
Grant program.
The primary goal of these design
projects is to assist County efforts
to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Lee
Beauchamp, Director of Public
Works said, “Upon comple on of
the engineering phase, these
demonstra on projects will be
shovel-ready for implemen ng
innova ve solu ons designed to
reduce nutrients from entering
into our local water ways.”
“The financial assistance provided
by the Chesapeake Bay Trust provides a tremendous opportunity to
demonstrate the County's ongoing commitment of protec ng
and enhancing the environment,”
commented Keith Hall, Chief of
Long Range/Transporta on Planning for the Department of Planning, Zoning and Community Development.
Page 14
Economic continued from page 3
-inesses to the county, encourage
entrepreneurship, invest in infrastructure and encourage businesses
to thrive, Execu ve Polli embarked
on a Building Bridges for Business
ini a ve at the start of the year.
including walking as part of one’s
workday. Studies show that including at least 30 minutes of physical
ac vity each day can improve or
maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The next Walk @ Lunch will be
held May 14, 2014.
County Execu ve Polli first introduced his economic growth plan to
expand and diversify the county’s
business base by focusing on economic development during the annual State of the County Address in
December 2012.
Every ini a ve, Polli introduced on
behalf of the business community
successfully passed legisla on. This
included phasing out the county’s
Inventory Tax over 5 years, making
the manufacturing tax exemp on
automa c and at the state level—
decoupling the personal property
tax.
These accomplishments cons tute
the first phase of a construc ve
framework designed to transform
Wicomico County into a growthpromo ng business environment.
Fitness Council
Sponsors 13th
Annual Walk at
Lunch
In observa on of Na onal Employee
Health & Fitness Day, more than 400
walkers par cipated in the 13th annual Walk @ Lunch event held this
past May in Salisbury.
Every year, par cipants walk a designated route of about a mile. A er
the walk they are treated to a free,
healthy lunch plus dessert! The
event features exercise demonstraons, vendors and giveaways.
The event showcases the ease of
2013 Fitness
Council Award
Winners
from familiar faces in our community
who’ve been recognized by the Fitness Council for their commitments
to a healthy lifestyle.
WEFC
Launches
Live Healthy,
Wicomico
For the past several years, the
County Execu ve’s Council on
Physical Fitness and Healthy Living, or Fitness Council, has been
working con nuously to promote
the importance of making posi ve
changes towards a healthier lifestyle for Wicomico County’s residents. Our mission con nues to
be to promote and encourage ci zens of all ages throughout
Wicomico County to adopt a personal goal of physical ac vity and
responsible living habits to ensure
a healthy quality of life.
In April, the Wicomico Execu ve’s
Fitness Council launched a countywide ini a ve to promote wellness, nutri on and physical ac vity called Live Healthy, Wicomico
by organizing a flashmob at the
Centre at Salisbury mall.
Our Challenge to YOU! Join the MILLION MINUTES OF MOVEMENT CAMPAIGN! Let’s make
it fun! Keep a daily
log and record your
progress on the li-
Wicomico County University of Maryland Extension (UME) Team
vehealthywicomico.org website. Get
connected with the Wicomico Execuve Fitness Council by Liking our Facebook page!
while the Avery Hall Movers (Avery
Hall Insurance) came in third place
with 19,736 minutes.
The Live Healthy, Wicomico 10-week
challenges are designed to bring together friends, families, co-workers
and communi es in team based wellness ac vi es.
A special presenta on was made
at Avery Hall Insurance for their
two teams, Avery Hall Movers
Team 1 and Avery Hall Movers
Team 2, for Outstanding Achievement for their combined efforts.
Both teams logged a total of
32,028 minutes of ac vity and
shed 48 pounds.
Let’s get moving Wicomico! You are
hereby challenged to form your
team, get ac ve and log your me
towards the goal of reaching one million minutes! You choose the ac vity
-- whether walking, running, bicycling
or swimming!
See you at the One Million mark!
Link to the Fitness Council flashmob:
h p://vp.telvue.com/preview?
id=T01961&video=148444
First Live, Healthy
Wicomico Winners
The Live Healthy, Wicomico ini ave is a compila on of all of the
Fitness Council’s efforts to become
a one-stop resource for the community.
The Fitness Council held their firstLive Healthy, Wicomico 10-week acvity challenge designed to encourage all Wicomico ci zens to get up,
get ac ve and log their ac vity
minutes towards the county’s goal of
One Million Minutes of Movement.
On the LiveHealthyWicomico.org
web site, among the many gems of
informa on provided, you will find
ps on healthy ea ng, how to add
physical ac vity to your work day
and many encouraging stories
Winners of the first challenge were
the County Extension Office team
with 29,793 minutes of ac vity and
shed 37 pounds! Workout Warriors
of the Health Department came in
second place with 24,748 minutes,
Avery Hall Movers—Teams 1 & 2
The Live Healthy, Wicomico is well
under way with their second challenge, “Dashing through the Holidays.” It ends on January 15, 2014.
For more informa on on the Live
Healthy, Wicomico program visit
LiveHealthyWicomico.org.
Page 15
the Na onal Network of Public Health
Ins tutes. This project increased the
Department’s educa on and outreach
ac vi es for local retail food service
facili es in an effort to reduce the
number of cri cal viola ons.
Women’s Health Program Expands Services
Working to
Improve
Health
Measures
During the past year the Health
Department has con nued to
work toward improving performance measures related to the
State Health Improvement Process. We have been working in
coopera on with Worcester and
Somerset Coun es on ini a ves
to address obesity and diabetes. These regional issues were
also iden fied in 2010 as local
issues in addi on to mental
health access. The Health Department has organized local
community coali ons to assist in
developing strategies to address
these issues. In FY 14, the
Wicomico County Health Planning Board will serve as the Local Health Improvement Coalion for the County and will connue to address the iden fied
public health indicators of concern for the County.
Local Food Facilities
Benefit from Increased Outreach
Environmental Health Division
par cipated in a quality im‐
provement project funded by
Page 16
In January 2013, our Community
Health Services Division began a Com‐
prehensive Women’s Health approach that, in addi on to providing
standard
family
planning/
reproduc ve health services, includes
a protocol of offerings that assures
expanded comprehensive services to
all clients
Services may include screenings and
referrals related to chronic disease,
nutri on, overweight/obesity, smoking cessa on, mental health, substance abuse, domes c violence, or
assis ng with access to health insurance, primary care, or WIC. Women
are mo vated to choose healthier
lifestyles which in turn will hopefully
decrease the infant mortality rate.
“Eat Healthy” Campaign
Is A Homerun with
Shorebirds
The Department’s Preven on and
Health Communica ons Division began a partnership with the Delmarva
Shorebirds minor league baseball organiza on in the late 1990s. What
began as a “Stop Smoking” campaign
has evolved into a community transforma on message focusing on ea ng
healthy, being ac ve, and living tobacco free. During the 2012 ball season, they received funding for a “We
choose to eat healthy, be ac ve and
live tobacco free” message in their
game day program (a quarter page
ad) and imprinted on t-shirts for 140
youth in their summer baseball
camps. During the camps, Shorebird
players gave a brief talk to the kids
on the importance of ea ng
healthy, staying ac ve and not using
tobacco.
This 2013 season, the Shorebirds
organiza on is helping us transform
the community. In the process to
transform and improve the health
of the community, they have experienced a transforma on of their
own. Gone are the days of smoking
in the stands; now smoking is only
permi ed at one side entrance or in
the parking lot. The food concessions now offer gluten-free, vegetarian and ‘healthy’ op ons and list
these op ons on their website. And
they have taken the “Eat Healthy,
Be Ac ve, Live Tobacco Free’ campaign from inside the stadium to
outside into the community.
Accreditation In Progress
The Health Department's applicaon for Na onal Accredita on has
been accepted by the Public Health
Accredita on Board (PHAB). The
process of achieving accredited status is important because it provides
valuable feedback about agency
strengths and areas for improvement. Accredita on will lay the
founda on for improved protec on,
promo on and preserva on of our
community's health.
Healthy Living Grant
The Department was recently
awarded an American Medical Associa on (AMA) Founda on Healthy
Living Grant to involve youth in the
effort to reduce prescrip on drug
abuse and promote medica on
safety in their communi es. The
Department received the grant to
launch an educa onal prescrip on
medica on safety and misuse campaign directed at middle/high
school students and their parents.
He is always willing to take on a new
task and is open minded to anything
that makes sense for the good of
the community.
When it comes to the business at
hand for Salisbury I am more than
proud to have Gary Mackes in our
corner.”
Polli ini ated the sessions for the
purpose of developing local consensus on some of the serious land
use issues confron ng the County.
It was his hope that a produc ve
dialogue would generate a be er
understanding of what is required
of ci zens and what steps must be
taken to be er preserve our way of
life for the benefit of all.
A broad panel of experts included
representa ves from the Wicomico
County Farm Bureau, Chesapeake
Bay Founda on, Mid-Atlan c Farm
Credit and the Maryland Department of Planning. Results from
those sessions will be made available soon.
Gary Mackes, Director of Recreation, Parks &
Tourism
Mackes Named
Businessman
of the Year
Director for the Department of
Recrea on, Parks and Tourism,
Gary Mackes was named the 2013
Businessman of the Year by the
Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ferry Hours
Restored
Mackes has served as the department’s director for 32 years. According to the Chamber of Commerce they chose to honor Mackes
for the following reasons:
Pollitt Initiates
Community
Dialogue
“Gary Mackes works relessly to
figure out ways to leverage the
Wicomico County park system &
Civic Center. Last year over 40
events like the Interna onal Poodle
Show, USSSA Girls So ball World
Series, and Mid-Atlan c Youth
Wrestling Tournament were held
here to infuse over $17 million into
Wicomico’s local economy last
year.
Earlier this fall, Execu ve Polli selected the Bosserman Center for
Conflict Resolu on (BCCR) and
Community Media on Maryland to
facilitate a collabora ve dialogue
on land use and development.
•
November 1st to February 28th
7:00am to 5:30pm
(or 29th)
•
March 1st to May 15th
7:00am to 6:00pm
•
May 16th to September 15th
6:00am to 7:30pm
•
September 16th to October 31st
7:00am to 6:00pm
Ferry service is available at no cost
to riders. Opera ng status can be
checked by calling the Ferry Informa on Hotline at (410) 543-2765.
He operates Recrea on & Parks
and the Youth & Civic Center as a
business — minimizing tax subsidy
to support the opera ng budget.
These prac ces result in over $2.5
million in cost avoidance. When
compared to other Eastern Shore
of Maryland coun es, Wicomico’s
tax subsidy per ci zen is the lowest
at $15 per ci zen.
Page 17
Public Water
for Morris Mill
Area Residents
Since August of 2012, Wicomico
County has been inves ga ng a
groundwater contamina on of
trichloroethylene (TCE) in the
communi es near Morris Mill.
TCE is an industrial solvent not
normally found in the natural environment. To date, a total of 91
private wells have been impacted
by the contamina on. With the
assistance of the Maryland Department of the Environment and
the EPA, bo led water and ac vated carbon units have been
provided to the affected residents.
As of June of 2013, the County
contracted with George, Miles, &
Buhr, a local engineering firm, to
conduct a preliminary engineering report. This report compared
all the op ons available to the
community. Based on the low
costs and the ability to provide a
permanent, long-term solu on,
the op on to extend public water
supply from the City of Fruitland
was chosen.
The county researched funding
op ons and was able to obtain
State and Federal grants, and low
interest loans to ease the burden
on taxpayers.
An Urban Services District was
created in December of 2013.
Over the next year, detailed engineering and planning will allow
the construc on of the project to
begin. It is es mated that in January of 2016, clean, potable water will be provided to all 273
households.
Page 18
County Pilots
Mosquito Control Program
Wicomico is the first mosquito control program in the State of Maryland to acquire and implement the
use of sophis cated GIS/GPS inseccide applica on tracking hardware and so ware.
The system has been touted by the
Governor’s Office as a pilot program for the State according to
officials at the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA).
It provides a superior employee
management tool, paperless documenta on of mosquito control acvi es, documenta on that meets
the requirements of the Environmental Protec on Agency’s (EPA)
Na onal Pollutant Discharge Elimina on System (NPDES) and improves customer service to the ci zens of Wicomico County.
MDA is now in the process of purchasing the necessary equipment
to emulate our GIS/GPS system.
Smooth Operators Recognized
The Wicomico County Sheriff’s
Office
is
pleased
to
announce
that Deputy
Tyler Benne
and Deputy
Jen Has ngs
were recognized as a
“Smooth Operator Law
Enforcement
Officer.” Both were recognized for
their efforts during the 2012
Smooth Operator public
safety
ini ave.
The
award was
presented
at the 15th
Annual
Smooth Operator
luncheon
held in Greenbelt, Maryland on September 26, 2013.
The Smooth Operator Program is a
unique partnership of law enforcement, public safety officials and other
experts in the District of Columbia
and Maryland. It is designed to combat aggressive driving and iden fy
short and long term solu ons in
traffic safety.
Law enforcement
agencies, trauma experts, government officials and other professionals
work together to educate motorists
about the risks involved with aggressive driving and combat aggressive
driving behavior on our roads.
The program, funded by a grant from
the Motor Vehicle Administra on
Highway Safety Office, was conducted in four waves: June 3 – 9, June 29
– July 7, August 5 – 18, and September 2 – 8, 2012.
MADD Recognizes
Local Officer
DFC Jeremy
Bouchelle
was recently
recognized for his
outstanding
efforts
in
DUI detecon
and
arrests during the annual MADD Law Enforcement recogni on ceremony.
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Pollitt Wraps Up Year As
President of Maryland Association of Counties
In 2013, County Execu ve Polli was honored to serve as president
of the Maryland Associa on of Coun es (MACo), the first from
Wicomico County since the late Henry Parker, 20 years ago. During
his term, Polli honored his pledge to visit all 23 Maryland coun es
and Bal more City, advoca ng for the integrity of county government as that which is closest to the people.
As MACo president, Execu ve Polli carried his message of Building
Bridges, Building Community State-wide as he par cipated in
mee ngs with the leadership of the Maryland Municipal League
(MML) and the Maryland Associa on of Boards of Educa on
Photo Courtesy of the Executive Office of the Governor
(MABE). He also represented county government at the newlyrecons tuted Intergovernmental Council, an associa on involving
MACo, MML and the Governor’s office designed to establish effec ve rela onships between all of Maryland’s governing
bodies.
Also, as Board president, Polli was able to secure a place in MACo’s top legisla ve ini a ves for a bill to de-couple county property tax rates from the personal property tax rate, a tax paid by the business community. The bill became law and
Wicomico’s business community was able to benefit when Polli submi ed a budget to the county council with a tax rate
for businesses thirteen cents below what it would have been without the legisla on.
Welcome news to our community!
2013 Wicomico County
Annual Report
www.wicomicocounty.org
125 N. Division Street, Salisbury, MD 21801
For the employees and residents of Wicomico
County, Maryland
Richard M. Pollitt, Jr.
County Executive
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
Contributing Editors
Wicomico County Employees
Public Information Officer
Tamara Lee-Brooks
Page 24
Wicomico Public Library
Unveils North Side Mural
This November, the final product of a partnership between the
Wicomico Public Library and Remedy Church was unveiled.
Together — with other
community
members—they
transformed what began as
faded concrete into a
three
dimensional
bookshelf with the
spines of famous children’s books designed
by an award winning
local ar st, Douglas E.
Draper Jr.
Over the past few months, countless hands from the community
have been placed on the wall. Now complete, the mural stands
as a mark of unity and culture in Downtown Salisbury.