Two years on the job and city finance director Dale M. Walker resigns. He is the second city official out of a sinking boat or what? When he boarded he was declared ripe with experience and dripping leadership qualities. Not a word from Market Street as he jumps ship. OK, it’s his business. Perhaps he just didn’t like the daunting numbers during reductions. Can’t be much fun. Or over worked with city payroll, accounting, issuing bonds long and short. Then another bomb when the most “hated” man in Suffolk had enough of satisfying the spending members of Council by pleasantly asking citizens to dig deeper for property taxes. His feminine predecessor had more to say upon leaving than Sid. And unspecific “personal reasons” can cause puzzlement. He says it is completely voluntary at 55; he wants to see what’s up the road. Tough sledding would describe it. The C M offered no comment, unusual for her, on Walker’s resignation, or that of city assessor Sid Daughtrey earlier. And the Mayor offered no reason or explanation. We have seen this many times in the recent past when high employees left.
36 comments:
More of that open and transparent govt? Lets move along, nothing new here at all
Sid left because he did nto wish or want to take another whipping, to serve the political ambitions of council. I have known Sid for almost thirty years and he is a good person, asked to do a hard task, by evil people, for a thankless purpose. I understand that the last straw was a demand by the Budget Officers and City MAnager to hold the line on reductions so that the party could go on for another year. Anyone want to bet that is not the truth?
I don't know the Finance guy, but can only assume that if it is true for Sid, it is also for this victim too.
Who will now march into the line of fire? Who will be willing to take on the impossible, for the demanding and to work an agenda that shold have changed years ago? Until the present Mayor and her cronnies are toast at an election and popped out of office, don't expect this trend to change. With how the citizens of Suffolk vote, we deserve nothing else!
Who will march on to take on the impossible you ask? Not a tough one, it's our little girl Ms. Seward. The best part is she will be allowed to remain living outside of Suffolk. Hold on to your wallets folks it's going to be a wild ride.
As a taxypayer who loves this city,I have always had a problem with so called leadership that doesnt live here or support the tax base.I question their loyality to the citizens and the city itself. With that being said I question the self serving "public servants". How many of our "public servants" have seen their worth increase in value since taking office by the vote or by appointment?" Under the present leadership voted on and appointed Suffolk could become a Detroit over night.Its not about money all of the time but it's about resume's and moving on. When you suck the oxygen out of one provider and the breathing becomes a problem for one who makes a living at it has to find another host or provider. Those "leaders" are nothing but professional leaches and parasites.
The CM (the real mayor) and the mayor who is a (figure head only) think they need to explain or excuse. For they are the powers to be.
Have no fear about the budget shortfall or the financial implosion, we have a solid advocate fighting on our side. Remember the Du-man can. So now we are at a time when the rubber meets the road and Mike is going to have to show what he is all about.
We are losing the wrong ones. We need to get rid of the Budget Officer Seward as she has no loyalty to us and will bleed us all dry. With a weak minded city council she has her way and they don't even know th equestions to ask.
People, we have a real problem and no solutions.
How true it is. I totally agree that someone that does not even live here is making decisions about taxes she has no stake in! How is it that we have senior officials not living in the city they administer? Comments from City Council on that "Open and Transparent" thingie?
Why is it just policy when they spend my money, but pain when we spend their money? I say we need to cut all spending 10% or more and lower taxes more in line with houe we are paid. No increase in my paycheck in over four years, but I pay more in taxes, food and gas. Enough is enough.
Suffolk Tea Party where do yee stand at this crossroads, with us, or against us? Where is their organizational helping unite the citizens of our city in a display of opposition to bigger government, more debt and higher taxes. Seems to this writer they are a whole lot of talk and very little action. Cowards!
Instead of the car guy, I wish we had the weak minded tastelessly shady spiteful deceptive manipulating wannabe elite rich witch that is desperately cheesy and a misleading martian with a double standard being a gigantic blister on this council and the city manager.
The Suffolk Tea Party is a very small organization-less than a dozen members--with a population of 84,000! Why? Citizen apathy. Every wants something done but every body wants somebody else to do it for them! You get the representation you deserve folks. No sweat, no effort, no change! Wake up and take some responsibility or you will continue to be ignored. Next Suffolk Tea Party meeting: 28 Feb, 6:30 PM, Chesapeake Square Golden Corral (meeting room in the back--and nobody has to purchase a meal. Just a place to meet.).
Forget the all you can eat until you are in a food induced coma political meetings. The Suffolk Tea Party needs to take the lead on the 2011 budget. Pick a date, a location like city hall, and get the word out. You would be surprised at the turn out and potential new members. No excuses just do it.
While the Tea-Party has grabbed headlines across the nation, it will not catch-on here in Suffolk. We have a strong and fair MAYOR who has been able to guide our fine city for the past several years and a council that she has molded to the same will.
We do no tneed more complainers trying to change a formula that works. Just look at the polls to see that the people do want and approve of our leadership. The Mayor crushed all others in a wide open race and the same for the incumbents on Council. Why change a formula the works?
anon 4:34
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
Get your head out of the peanut shells, step back and take a deeeeeeeeeeeep breath will ya?
Do you read anything other than the SNH?
Your last name isnt Boone is it?
Formula that works? So what justifies increases in city staff roles that are much higher than the rate of population increase? Or the annual pay raises when most of those in the private sector aren't getting any? Or the property appraisals that are arbitrarily keep high for tax purposes but don't reflect the actual falling value of homes--or the lack of equity in them? Why no drop in mil rate? Propped up on paper for the sole purpose of justifying Ann Seward's use of the property owners of Suffolk as the City's ATM to keep spending at rates that simply can't be justified by needs. And a city council that rarely listens or cares about the vast majority of us--while they focus on the 3,000+ city employees who tell them whatever they want to hear! Yeah. That's that formula that works--for Suffolk's ruling class--but not for the rest of us!
Isn't it interesting how quickly some attack anyone who may not agree that our municipal leaders are as fiscally responsible as the leaders themselves claim to be in their reelection materials are "complainers"? Seems that this whole scenario is playing out in Madison, Wisconsin over national TV and the issues are the same but the voting public there has finally gotten fed up! Why on earth should public school and municipal public workers live high on the hog at the expense of taxpayers in any part of the country? Where is the sense of shared sacrifice? When did they wake up with the idea we all work for them? They get medical benefits that the private sector can't even hope for! They pay little into their retirement funds--and retire much earlier than private sector workers. Private sector employees have to pay from 10% to 20% of their salary into 401s just to take advantage of a 2 to 3% employer match. Employees on the public dole also get many more days of anual leave than the rest of us--even when Council doesn't decide to give them extra days off before official holidays--on us of course!! And the list goes on. These folks don't have a clue how priviledged they have become or how the private sector works --but every dime they make comes out of our bank accounts.
On March 1st we will know if the Suffolk Tea Party is a real political sction group or a band malcontents complaining to each other. If they decide to remain a small inactive group the 4:34 comment was correct. If they are sincere about their effort then 2:46 was correct. We will know in just a few days.
It's not what is said at the February 28th STP meeting, it's what will they do the day after. If they had a tenth the backbone of the remaining politicians in Madison the STP would be respected and hopefully feared by the Market Street crowd.
Anon February 22, 2011 9:09 AM:
The next time you decide to decry the lack of backbone, you might think about having the guts to add your name. Might add some credibility.
And unlike the politicians in Madison who are on the job and paid to be there, the vast majority of Tea Pary members will be at work on March 1st instead of being cowed into whatever the thousands of recliner chair patriots decide you whould rather have them do. You see, the vast majority of them also work full time, raise families, go to church, and are active in other volunteer activities--in addition to studying, writing to their representatives, taking periodic trips to Richmond and DC to confront elected officials who fail to uphold the Constitution and show support for the few that do.
So next time you decide that you're going to stay home and rant that the Tea Party isn't doing your bidding for you, you might start thinking about what things could be like if you participated instead of taking pot shots. We're making a difference because of those who show up--because elected officials have got ignoring those who don't down pat!
As tax and spend elected Democrats flee their states and unions demonstrate how much they control that party, isn't it ashame the STP can't gather the wherewithall to at least make the gesture they are sincere about their organization. They are either afraid of being pigeonholed as cranks or just don't have what it takes when it comes to local politics.
Many Suffolkians over the years felgt as they were neasr the top of the food chain when the went to work for what was Union Camp for so many years. I had the opportutity to be employed there for nearly 6 months. Working in the traffic department, which was a union shop, I found myself being told that I had to join the union or lose my job. It was a short tenure and it only cost me a couple of tires, a windshield and a pink slip.Would you care to know how long I lasted at Ford over in Norfolk?
Remember three things that grow uncontrollably, until they kill their hosts: Cancer, Entitlements, Unions.
With that being said I appreciate what the unions did for the American worker. I do not appreciate what the unions did to the American worker.
Let's be civil and discuss the issue of Suffolk Leaders with respect.They work hard for us all and have done a good job as we can see with two hard years of good budgets and no tax increases. This is effective leadership and is shown by the facts and hard work we can measure and see. That is why the STP will not have any effect, because it is not needed and the voters will not support it.
If as some always call for attention to some calim of failed leadership, then why do we have all incumbents re-elected term after term? It is because they are effective leaders and get the job done. They do the people's business and we know it. They work tirlessly for the community and it shows at the polls.
By example, the MAYOR is not only the booster for the City, she is an insightful sponsor saving jobs, grants and opportunity for the City. Under her leadership, the City Staff make the hard decisions that the rest of council molds into the successes we all see. Just look at our new Tourisum Center as an example. Then we have the new Social Health Center and we will soon have a new city hall. The businesses in downtown are doing well and it shows too.
So what else do you want? We have success and low taxes and that is why we have the right leaders in charge!
I remember this mayor agreeing to the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority. That government appointed body was empowered to tax us and impose tolls. She was warned against supporting it, but she willingly put her name on the dotted line and frequently attended the HRTA meetings in support. No one forced Mayor Johnson and she could have done the right thing to denounce it, but never did. Now does this sound like a booster to anyone. Has anyone noticed how much the city debt has increased under her leadership. We need to organize and demand fiscal restraint from our local government with or without the support of the Tea Partyistas.
I just left City Hall a few minutes ago after talking with some employees in the Treasurer's Office and they said the Director of Finance was getting a real chewing out by the insecure City Manager they all work for (not with) and was fired and did not resign as some said. Folks we have a real problem with the prsent City Manager and her temper to the point that it is harming our wonderful City.
I would like our Mayor to take a real and solid look at these things and come to the realization that it is well past time that the City Manager be forced to resign and leave. The present City Manager is perhaps the most ill-tempret, foul minded manager Suffolk has ever seen and we cannot afford her antics anymore. The woman is unbalanced and a piria upon our community. Everyone downtown runs scared of this woman and that says it all about why she should go.
Mayor, I supported YOU and I did so because I felt you had the strenght of personality to lead, so we now need you to lead.
I can honestly state that if the election were to be today, I wouldnt vote for the mayor, I mean the figure head one if she were running unopposed
Where is the mayor in yet another mess? We need and diserve an answer now. And I agree we have the worst manager ever.
I also read the same in the paper today!
Why is everyone so concerned about someone that our professional City Manager saw as unfit and fired? It seems clear that she may have made a change and there is no news here. Would you keep a person in a high position that you did not trust or had confidense in? I would not and I am sure you would not.
Just more sour grapes and all is fine and will be fine.
Yet another example that Affirmative Action fails to produce qualified personnel to the workforce. But let's be civil and let our White-Red-Yellow Guilt allow her to continue damaging the city. We will all pay for it in the end.
My motto is if you dont live here and you are getting paid, YOU MUST GO
This 'womans" loyalty is only to her own self. Power greed,and more power is what motoviates this "woman".She reminds me of a Maxine Walters Shelia Jackson Lee and the FLOTUS.
When are you all going to get it? The City Manager doesn't do ANYTHING without the blessing of the Mayor! Do you actually think the Mayor didn't orchestrate this firing? That she was unaware it was going to happen? You want the Mayor to intervine?!?!?! That's like sending the fox into the hen house to find out where all of the chickens have gone. Nothing goes on in City Hall that Johnson doesn't know about. PERIOD. This isn't the first "resignation" she has ordered and it won't be the last!
anon 9:09 speaks of others crediabilty? ROFLMAO
As not to be called a racist over my commentary on Cuffee reminding me of Maxine Walters and Shelia Jackson Lee on the power and greed issue. I forgot to mention Skillary Clinton. Fair and balanced works for me.
Maxine Walters once said not to long ago 40 acres and a mule? I want 40 thousands and a Lexus. Were Cuffe,Chavis and Walters seperated at birth?
If Johnson is going to run again for the title Mayor of Mayor of Suffolk, she will lose big time if she doesnt dump Cuffe. Wait. What the heck am I thinking. You go girls You go..
Anon 8:10 please read the 9:09comment again before you ROFLMAO.
On the demanor of Cuffe, I left out Cynthia McKinney.
I’m not surprised at Cuffe she’s seems typical of black leadership in America. The issue with minority leaders of her caliber is more about what she stands against, then what she stands for. White folks arent one of them. With the departues of late, I will not be surprised if blacks fill the positions. Qualified or not.
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