The current Dorchester County Council continues to provide
us opportunities to be watchdogs of local government and its members’ behavior.
On Jan. 13, the Banner published two stories that not only shared current information,
but maybe more importantly, illustrated how the council members go about their
business.
In “Bridge delay costs Dorchester $500,000,” we reported on
the waste of half a million dollars of taxpayers’ money. Put briefly, the state
drew up plans for a replacement bridge years ago, on the condition that if the
bridge were built within a certain time, the $500,000 spent on the plans would
not have to be repaid.
The bridge was never built, and the issue was pretty much
forgotten until the bill from Annapolis arrived. So there goes a considerable
sum of taxpayers’ money, coming from a county that is not, after all, wealthy.
In the same issue – it was a lively meeting – we had,
“Newcomb, Nichols speak on road closure.” In an earlier issue, we had reported
on a road being improperly closed, at the request of Council Member Libby
Nagel. She and her two allies on the five-person board, Jay Newcomb and William
Nichols, were furious about the truth appearing in our newspaper.
So at a following meeting, Newcomb and Nichols launched
themselves into extended rants, complete with contradictions, lousy grammar and
a not-so-veiled threat against the still-anonymous county employee who tipped
us in the first place. Council Member Lenny Pfeffer then spoke up, objecting to
how the others had told him to stay out of their districts’ affairs.
Strange, because the road Nagel had closed was in Pfeffer’s
district.
A little-used dirt road being closed probably didn’t affect
many of our residents. But all of them deserve to know how council members
behave towards their colleagues, county employees and the public.
https://www.dorchesterbanner.com/dorchester/newcomb-nichols-speak-on-road-closure/
https://www.dorchesterbanner.com/dorchester/bridge-delay-costs-dorchester-500000/
