EASTERN SHORE UNDERCOVER EDITORIAL: MORE WASTED SPENDING ON LEGAL ISSUES LOOMING BY WICOMICO COUNTY COUNCIL

Wicomico County, MD - Just when we think that the wasted spending on legal matters with the Wicomico County Council is a thing of the past, we start the new year out, by learning there will be more wasted spending of Wicomico County taxpayer money on.... you guessed it.... more legal issues in the Appellate Court of Maryland!  

A reliable source in the court system has relayed information to me this morning that Wicomico County Council Attorney Robert A. Benson has filed an appeal on behalf of the Wicomico County Council regarding the decision made in the Wicomico County Circuit Court by Judge Brett Wilson.  

This will technically be the fourth time this case will be ruled upon, once by Wicomico County Council and Wicomico County Executive Attorney, and twice by Judge Brett Wilson.  The Wicomico County Council was not happy with the opinion of their attorney, so they hired a new one, and they weren't happy with the initial ruling by Judge Brett Wilson, stating that they felt the judge used an incorrect version of the charter, and felt that it would make a difference in his opinion. 

The case was sent back to the Circuit Court for Judge Wilson to review and once again, he rendered the same decision.  

In a recent article at Maryland Matters, the following was stated, "Both Cannon and Giordano said the ultimate resolution is likely to come through the courts and that they're prepared to live with the decision", however now that Giordano has won, multiple times, we are now seeing a change in heart from Wicomico County Council President John Cannon and his supporting members of the County Council, and at the expense of Wicomico County taxpayers.

Furthermore, when was this decision made? I've watched every single Council Meeting in Wicomico County since 2020, and many times, like this last meeting, I have watched multiple times, to make sure I didn't miss anything, or mislead our community. At no time did I hear of anything discussed about this appeal. Where was it done? How was it done? And more importantly, why was the community not made aware of it? Was this something done in a closed-door session or on a phone call between council members? 

Taking off the hat of Eastern Shore Undercover and putting on the Wicomico County taxpayer hat, my question is at what point and when will this council and President John Cannon accept defeat, and stop wasting money that can be used in other areas? 

In a recent Wicomico County Council Meeting, Council Member James Winn stated that they have exceeded $65,000 in legal fees and now, this case will potentially go in front of the Appellate Court of Maryland, which I am certain will cost Wicomico County taxpayers an estimated $10,000 to $15,000 at a minimum. 

This past week, in the Wicomico County Council meeting, Council President John Cannon hypocritically emphasized the importance of being careful with Wicomico County funding and spending. He made it a point to emphasize that there must be responsible spending in the county and went into great detail about using the PayGo System to fund various projects. Not only did he say they were concerned, but to quote Council President Cannon, he stated, "extremely concerned about PayGo". 

He stated in that same statement that there may be some hard decisions to be made on which projects will have a higher priority.  Does that include legal expenses that continue to add up for this council? 

It is crucial to understand the significance of not wasting money to have a secure financial future for the county. I think anyone, including both Council Executive Julie Giordano and each member of the County Council, would agree with this statement.  Money is a finite resource, and wasting it can have long-lasting consequences. 

When money is squandered on unnecessary or frivolous expenses, such as these legal expenses that we continue to incur, it is not available for essential needs, savings, or other expenses that are of more importance to keep the county flowing smoothly. Careless spending habits can lead to debt, financial stress, and limited opportunities such as lowering future taxes. 

This type of wasted spending must stop! I am disgusted and appalled that this county continues to without forethought, waste our tax money on these types of issues. A decision was made by a reliable and respected judge, not once, but two times and an opinion was given by an attorney that the council pays annually, but this council just can't accept it and move on. 

At some point, we all must be able to accept defeat and move on.  Accepting defeat is not a sign of weakness, but a testament to resilience. It's in acknowledging the lessons learned, finding strength in humility, and using that experience to forge ahead toward new opportunities and growth.

I would hope that this council and this council president will take that statement to heart and move on, for the betterment of Wicomico County! 

If you are tired of your tax dollars being wasted, I firmly encourage you to reach out to your council representative and tell them enough is enough! This wasted spending on legal battles must stop and our tax dollars must be better spent! All contact information including email addresses and phone numbers can be found at the following Wicomico County Website.