City's fiscal woes extend to previous officials by Dr Wack

City's fiscal woes extend to previous officials by Dr Wack

Letters Posted 9/24/08 http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/1084/letters/

Perhaps Kevin Dayhoff is still working in landscaping. Regardless, Westminster residents deserve better than the manure he shoveled in his column in The Westminster Eagle ("Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile"), Sept 17.

[KED note: For more on the picture of me shoveling manure, please see: January 21st, 2001 - 20031008 KED Mucking Out Stalls.JPG http://tinyurl.com/o4yrwc ]

Perpetuating the lie about the city paying for a dinner for elected officials, staff and family members is bad enough. The city hasn't paid for that dinner since Dayhoff lost his reelection bid for mayor in 2005. Before that, Dayhoff never seemed to mind ordering drinks and food on the city tab.

His reservations about the creation of new positions which include the new city administrator are puzzling as well. Before he was against it, ex-Mayor Dayhoff was a vocal advocate for hiring a city administrator.

Most importantly, Dayhoff seems to have forgotten that all the financial problems the city now struggles with were all present the first day he became mayor in 2001, and yet for his entire term, no progress was made solving them. He also neglected to mention his attempts to have the city pay for a laptop computer to use at home, as well as reimburse his mileage for trips to Annapolis and outside the state on business that the council, at that time, didn't deem to be beneficial to the city.

One other assertion he must be challenged on is that the current administration "campaigned on the need for increased spending, taxes, etc." No current city official ever made those statements, and Dayhoff knows it.

Robert Wack, council member, Westminster Common Council

Westminster

http://explorecarroll.com/opinion/1084/letters/

20080924 Citys fiscal woes extend to previous officials by Dr Wack

Related:

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/09/westminster-eagle-westminster-mayor.html

and

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/09/westminster-eagle-be-critical-of.html

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 Westminster Eagle: “Westminster mayor says MML convention spending was worth it” By Katie V. Jones Westminster Eagle: “Westminster mayor says MML convention spending was worth it” By Katie V. Jones Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ 9/17/08 http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/09/westminster-eagle-westminster-mayor.html

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff: Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile Published September 17, 2008 by Westminster Eagle There has been a fair amount of discussion of late regarding published accounts of the June trip by 15 appointed and elected officials from Westminster... http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2008/09/recent-westminster-eagle-and-sunday_23.html 20080923 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns NBH: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/60014.html 20080917 Westminster mayor says convention spending worth it KJones

Westminster Eagle: Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile by Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ 9/17/08 http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/1005/be-critical-spending-but-mml-has-been-worthwhile/ Posted on “Soundtrack” on Monday, September 22, 2008: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/09/westminster-eagle-be-critical-of.html

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/

Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Westminster Eagle: Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster Eagle: Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile by Kevin Dayhoff

Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/ 9/17/08

There has been a fair amount of discussion of late regarding published accounts of the June trip by 15 appointed and elected officials from Westminster to attend the annual Maryland Municipal League summer convention -- which city officials acknowledge cost approximately $19,000 in taxpayer money.

The reaction on the street and in the grocery store checkout line was, to be polite, outrage. "Where were their heads when they made this harebrained decision?" asked an acquaintance while I was munching on fries and a roast beef sandwich at Baugher's.

Well, have a seat and take a deep breath. For you see, I can't entirely go along with the populist rabble on this one.

Yes, I enjoy my reputation as a tightwad penny pincher, for which I have endured eloquent criticism in the past -- criticism that comes from those who believe tax and spend big government is the answer to all the challenges in our community.

At a time when city officials are, to the best of my knowledge, for the first time in Westminster history laying off employees due to budget constraints, raising taxes and actively discussing curtailing city services; was it really wise to spend $19,000 on a convention -- which included a $1,500 "team-building dinner?"

Probably not. As one person said to me, it doesn't meet the smell test.

City officials have defended the expense of attending the MML convention, as well they should, by saying in affect that the conference is cost effective.

However, by all accounts, they missed the big picture in defense of the expenditure in that the real challenge facing Westminster is a community conversation over the growth of city government and the spending priorities and policies of the current administration.

The cost of the MML convention served as a lightning rod for the frustration of many folks in the community concerning the past several years when conflicting messages have been telegraphed to the public about city finances. For example, in the last several years the city has added new administrative positions at a cost of more than $200,000 a year -- all the while pleading poverty.

If you want to be upset over the spending priorities and the lack of fiscal discipline of the current administration; have at it.

However, I would leave the MML out of it. For my money, MML is actually part of the solution.

To be fair, the current administration campaigned on the need for increased spending, taxes, bureaucracy and larger government. To now be angry because they've been true to their word is disingenuous at best.

When I was an elected official with the city, I attended six conferences in Ocean City and I continue to keep in touch with MML officials and stay current with MML initiatives, programs, conferences and seminars.

The annual summer convention has grown over the years into a must-attend event for statewide elected leaders as well as municipal officials. Even though it's held in Ocean City, it is a far cry from a vacation at the beach. It's a great deal of work crammed into too few days.

What city officials ought to have done is give a "show me the money" report on what an invaluable service the MML and the summer convention provides our community. There really is bang for that buck, but it's hard to hear that bang over the sound of public protest.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kdayhoff@carr.org.

http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/1005/be-critical-spending-but-mml-has-been-worthwhile/

20080917 WE Be critical of spending but MML has been worthwhile

(564 words)

Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner

Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner

The existentialism of the simple task of Westminster city officials posting an agenda for its council meetings in a timely manner

September 8, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

After an e-mail to a city official earlier in the day; for which I never did get a response, the city of Westminster has finally posted an agenda on the city’s web site.

Heck, I’m just not sure what their rush was – the agenda was posted at approximately 3:22 pm. The meeting is 3 ½ hours away…

Since 2005 the city of Westminster has added two new positions – a city manager and a director of administration at an annual cost to the taxpayer of over $200,000 and yet the city can’t manage to get an council meeting agenda posted timely – or adopt a budget or have an annual audit performed on a timely basis.

The city spent anywhere from $20,000 to over $40,000, depending on whose version of the story suits your fancy, to move some offices to a rented building from City Hall and other offices from the rented building back over to City Hall; in order to provide better services. It was, in reality, rearranging the deck chairs on The Titanic. And yet the city all-too frequently can’t get an agenda posted on a timely basis.

The city increased taxes, increased the size of government, has borrowed money like there is no tomorrow and is actively discussing cutting back on city services – in order to serve us better. And yet the city seems to have a great deal of difficulty in posting an agenda on a timely basis on a web site that is so woefully inadequate and opaque, it often seems like the city resents even having a web site…

Web sites can be difficult as I am all too aware; however in theory, a web site is no longer an afterthought or a bother, it is a critical information dissemination resource in today’s governance. Then again there are many folks who find current Westminster government so opaque, unapproachable, and inaccessible, that the web site is probably emblematic of a government that all too often seems too annoyed by citizen contact to be bothered with disseminating information.

After-all, our elected officials are some of the smartest folks in the world – and they certainly know what is best for us; so having meaningful contact with the public is probably unnecessary now isn’t it?

I’m glad that Westminster citizens work for such an august group of elitists. It gives us a purpose in our backward shabby meager existence.

Related:

20071130 City municipal offices relocate by Ryan Marshall

20080611 No agenda is sign of poor government

20080720 Carroll County Times Westminster shutting out the public

20080908 Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner