Andean Bear Cub Looks Askance at Double Taxation.
While this cub resides at the National Zoo, another
was recently born at the Salisbury Zoo.

Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton gave his State of the City address yesterday and laid down the gauntlet:

He claimed that 65 percent of Wicomico County residents are served by the Salisbury Fire Department, while 25 percent of those served are paying taxes on those services.

“The people who elected me to office are paying for that service for thousands and thousands of people who aren’t paying at all,” Ireton said.

Saying it has been “69 days without a response” from Wicomico County on the matter, he did not quite go as far as saying he would keep fire and emergency services from serving outside the city limits.

However, he said the so-called “nuclear option” was something that was on the table if county executive Bob Culver and members of the county council did not address the issue soon.

Ireton also outlined an innovative idea of how to deal with urban blight and hold those responsible accountable:

The most prominent initiative was his call to place QR codes on signs in front of abandoned buildings, linking to webpages showing information about the property’s past and present owners.

“I am tired of being the person responsible for everyone else’s dropping the ball,” the mayor said.