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May 31, 2023

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

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News News Homepage News News Portal Highlights

Talbot County Proposes Tax Rate Hike for 2024 Fiscal Year

May 2, 2023 by The Talbot Spy

The Talbot County Council has proposed at their regular meeting on May 2, a real property tax rate increase of 2.55 cents for $100 of assessed valuation for all properties located outside the incorporated towns, which is 5.3% higher than the current rate. Properties located within incorporated towns will have a tax rate differential of between 6.01 and 13.30 cents lower than the county rate.

During the public hearing on the constant yield tax rate, the Council made it clear that they were raising taxes regardless of what happens to the tax rate. The FYI 2024 proposed budget prioritizes public safety and education, which reflects a significant investment in the employees who are the backbone of service delivery. The budget also prioritizes funding for capital improvement projects, infrastructure, and addresses escalating costs associated with state-mandated funding requirements.

The proposed property tax rate of 0.74344 for county-owned properties includes property tax revenues that are 2% over FYI 23 revenues, an additional 1 cent increase to the property tax rate as authorized by the voters of Talbot County in November 2020, and a 4.8% educational supplement to support Talbot County Public Schools. The county’s property tax rate will increase by 6.14 cents, which amounts to a 9% increase, with 3.48% of the increase as part of the county real property tax rate. The remaining 5.52% increase is attributable to the education supplement used to pay for the increased funding for schools.

The county tax bill for a home with a property assessment of $300,000 will increase from $2,046 to $2,230, which is a $184 increase, $144 of which is attributable to the education supplement. While the proposed increase in property taxes may be viewed as a burden by some taxpayers, it is worth noting that other counties will also be experiencing the same challenges in meeting the increased funding requirements of Maryland’s Blueprint.

Overall, education expenditures for Talbot County represent 43.7% of its budget, with Talbot County schools representing 42.1% of those expenditures. The budget proposal includes funding for capital projects requests for school renovations and funding for infrastructure, such as roadway enhancements, culvert replacements, and the extension of sewer service in an effort to remove dependence on septic systems.

Public safety accounts for the second greatest expenditure in the budget proposal, with 23.8% of the budget allocated to it. Included in the budget proposal are requests for additional funding for school nurses and the cost of three resource officers. The proposal also includes a 4% cost of living adjustment and one step for employees.

The Council has emphasized that the proposed budget is the result of conservative budgeting practices that have been successful in Talbot County in the past, and that they are committed to providing necessary services for the community. The budget proposal will be adopted as part of the fiscal year 2023-2024 annual budget and appropriation ordinance on May 23, 2023.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Get Out the Vote: Easton Election for Mayor on Tuesday

May 1, 2023 by The Talbot Spy

Get out the vote. That’s what councilmembers Megan Cook, Al Silverstein and incumbent mayor Bob Willey  are telling their supporters as town residents prepare to cast their ballots Tuesday. The ballot will also include Ward 1 and Ward 3 town council elections.

The Talbot Spy has covered this election extensively over the last few months and have compiled some of that content to help the undecided.

Avalon Spy Town Hall Meeting 

Mayor Profiles

Megan Cook

Al Silverstein

Bob Willey (incumbent)

Ward 1

Maureen Curry

Frank Gunsallus

Ward 3 

Ron Engle

David Montgomery

Ward Map

The Tuesday May 2 2023 election polling location will be held at Easton Volunteer Firehouse (315 Leonard Rieck Drive) from 7:00 am – 8:00 pm.  The Board of Canvassers will meet Wednesday May 3, 2023 in the Town Hall Council Chambers to count absentee ballots and certify the election.

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Spy-Avalon Election 2023: Easton Council Ward One Candidate Profiles

April 5, 2023 by The Talbot Spy

About a month ago, the Talbot Spy and the Avalon Foundation agreed to partner in providing the community with candidate profiles for those running for the Easton Town Council for Ward One and Ward Three in the May 2 election.

We begin with Ward One candidates Maureen Curry and Frank Gunsallus.

Interviewed by the Talbot Spy editor Dave Wheelan, with the technical support of the Avalon’s Mid-Shore Community Television MCTV, these profiles center on three primary subjects; a candidate’s background, qualifications, and priorities if elected to office.

We think that our viewers will walk away much better informed on those critical themes, but will also recognize, as did the Spy and Avalon crew, that our community is all the more enriched by having such a unique collection of dedicated citizens among us.

Maureen Curry

Frank Gunsallus

These profiles are available for viewing in two different formats.  The first, appearing below, are edited versions similar to other Spy interview format where we limit the content to each candidate’s commentary. They average about 15 minutes in length. MCTV will be broadcasting these interviews in their entirety until election day and can also be watched on the Avalon website here. 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Spy Top Story, Special, Spy Highlights

Special Alert: Last Day to Take Spy/Avalon Survey on Easton Challenges and Opportunities

March 15, 2023 by The Talbot Spy

Spy readers are kindly requested to fill our our Avalon/Spy survey of the challenges and opportunities before the end of Thursday. Please go here.

The Avalon Foundation and the Talbot Spy have announced that the two organizations will collaborate on a community Town Hall meeting of candidates running for the mayor of Easton on April 16th at 6 pm at the Avalon main theatre to discuss issues facing our community.

Spy Columnist Craig Fuller has agreed to host the evening’s program. Mr. Fuller has been a resident of Talbot County for the last seven years. Prior to his arrival, he served four years in the White House as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, followed by four years as chief of staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush. He later was the CEO of public affairs firms and associations in Washington, D.C., before his retirement.

Over the last week,the Avalon and the Spy has been soliciting their different constituencies’ questions for the candidates to prepare for the gathering. Those subjects will be forwarded to the participants a week before the event. We welcome your participation in the survey which can be taken here.

The program is anticipated to last 120 minutes. It will be live streamed on Mid-Shore Community Television and the Spy’s Facebook channel. Attendance at the Avalon will be on a first-come basis, and there will be no charge for admission. Donations, however, are welcomed to support the cost of this event and future community programming in the future.

Avalon Foundation  and The Talbot Spy Present
A Town Hall Meeting with Easton Mayor Candidates
hosted by Spy Columnist Craig Fuller 
April  16th at 6 pm – Open seating
Avalon Theatre 
40 East Dover Street, Easton MD 21601

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Archives

Talbot Spy Editor Notes

August 1, 2022 by The Talbot Spy

There seems to be a certain turning point one can detect in early August on the Mid-Shore. While we have seen some remarkable summer days in June and July, with light breezes and low humidity, there is a certain settling in early August to the more familiar hot scorcher weeks we all know is part of summer here, where the community retreats to the comforts of air conditioning as it waits out the rest of the season.

Nonetheless, from the Spy’s point of view, these past June and July months were memorable days for all who live in Talbot County. Beyond the heartwarming return to “normal” after two years of COVID life, there were countless days when it did indeed feel like perfect summer days as the community took to the water and our cultural festivals. 

We also saw a record number of voters turnout for last month’s primary election, which can only make one feel so proud of one’s fellow citizens. The Spy had a front seat row for the Talbot County Council contests with both political parties, with our long-form interview profiles done in partnership with the Avalon Foundation. Those interviews provided remarkable insights into the personalities of the candidates, but it also reinforced my perception of who lives in this community. After interviewing thirteen of them, it was hard not to be impressed by their unique backgrounds and genuine interest in making Talbot County one of the best places to live in the United States.

The summer has also brought some wonderful things to the Talbot Spy beginning with the addition of Laura Oliver’s new column in our Sunday edition. After a few months to recover from the passing of the Spy’s first Sunday columnist George Merrill, the stars aligned to bring Laura on board, and the response to her unique take on things has been nothing less than amazing.

And I’m delighted to say that the Spy has had the same reaction with our weekly weather report on Thursdays by filmmaker Cece Storm. Each week, Cece uses images blessed with her brilliant visual eye and pairs them with quotations from our literary masters in what might be one of the most original weather forecasts in the county.

These are just two examples of how the Talbot Spy is fulfilling its educational mission to inform and entertain in public affairs, the arts, and regional culture. Through the help of some of the best writers on the Eastern Shore, the Spy continues to play a unique role as the Mid-Shore’s only nonprofit news source. Every day we publish fresh, insightful, and nonpartisan news leading with community education rather than traditional journalism as our top priority. With now 11 years of service of doing just that, with over 500,000 unique visitors a year, it is beyond satisfying for this editor and the dozens of volunteers that make it work.

This effort is not cost-free, however. Every month, we do need to find support for our modest writer fees, internet services, and the miscellaneous expenses of any small enterprise. And so, three times a year, we ask our readers to donate what they can to help keep the Spy spying on Talbot County. As we start our Summer 2022 campaign, I sincerely hope you might consider contributing to the Talbot Spy Fund at the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.

Electronic donations can be made here or personal checks can be sent to the Talbot Spy Fund, C/O Mid-Shore Community Foundation, 102 East Dover Street, Easton MD 21601.

With warm wishes and many thanks,

Dave Wheelan
Executive Editor

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Spy Highlights

Happy New Year from the Spies of Talbot County

January 1, 2022 by The Talbot Spy

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Spy Top Story

Merry Christmas from the Spies of Talbot County

December 25, 2021 by The Talbot Spy

Merry Christmas to you and yours from all the Spies of Talbot County.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Spy Top Story

Editor’s Notes: Protecting Local History from Rachel Maddow, COVID Redux, and Spy Thanks

August 9, 2021 by The Talbot Spy

Over the last few years, there has been a considerable effort to “preserve” local history and use it strategically in such debates as the location of the Talbot Boys Confederate memorial in Easton. But in today’s edition, Spy contributors Neil King, Jr. and Jeff McGuiness have sought to actually “protect” local history from being abused on a national scale.

Neil and Jeff, whose last contribution earlier this year, Statues and Fields, became one of our most widely-read stories in 2021, have returned with a tough but responsible response to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow’s recent false narrative of Frederick Douglass and his time living as a slave at Talbot County’s Mt. Misery estate.

The cable news star had used Douglass as part of a “good riddance” essay on the recently-deceased former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had owned the historic home while serving in Washington during the Bush years. Part of Maddow’s narrative was that the former cabinet member was, in some psychologically deranged way, perfectly A-OK in owning the property where Douglass had suffered his worst beatings, which Rachel suggested was consistent with Rumsfeld’s unforgivable use of torture with Iraqi war prisoners.  

Spoiler alert: Rachel Maddow was dead wrong about Mt. Misery. Please read their brilliant essay here. 

As many had feared, the Delta variant has found its way onto the Mid-Shore along with its deadly infection rate and increased pressure on our relatively small healthcare network. To our chagrin and complete frustration, the Spy has had to return to reporting local COVID cases. While conditions still don’t warrant daily updates, we will be analyzing those numbers every 24 hours to determine if any significant changes require public notice. I want to thank again Spy public affairs editor John Griep for his ongoing coverage of this health crisis. 

Finally, I’d like to thank the hundred or so Spy readers who contributed to our summer fundraising effort. These small donations are now the lifeblood in keeping the Spy spying on the communities we love. Speaking for our writers and volunteers, I am profoundly grateful for these gifts and their use to keep the Talbot Spy free for all our readers. For those who still would like to contribute please feel free to do so here.

Dave Wheelan
Publisher and Executive Editor

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Spy Highlights

Publisher Note: Help the Academy Art Museum Plan for the Future

February 15, 2021 by The Talbot Spy

Over the last few years, the Spy has lent, at no cost, its extensive mailing list and website readership once a year to some of the region’s most significant educational and cultural institutions to receive constructive feedback on their core mission and programs. In 2019, we worked with Washington College to help the historic liberal arts college with its strategic planning. That project was followed by a similar survey in 2020 for the nationally respected Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Those surveys proved to be remarkably helpful for both institutions since each questionnaire resulted in over 500 participants. This exceptionally high response rate provided precious data and more anecdotal input that has dramatically improved their long term plans.

This year we have chosen to work with the Academy Art Museum as it continues to fine-tune its exhibition and educational programming for the entire Eastern Shore.

Could you please take a few minutes out of your day to help the Academy and its long-standing mission to serve the Eastern Shore.

Take the Survey here.

Dave Wheelan
The Spy Newspapers

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Spy Highlights

Talbot Spy Survey Results – Impeachment

January 13, 2021 by The Talbot Spy

We asked yesterday how Spy readers felt about the second impeachment of President Trump. And, if impeachment does occur, we asked if President Trump should be banned from seeking the Presidency a second time.
Readers were pretty clear…
Strongly FAVOR impeachment  —  81%
Strongly OPPOSE impeachment — 12%
President Trump SHOULD NOT be allowed to seek the presidency again — 87%
President Trump SHOULD be allowed to seek the presidency again — 11%

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Brevities

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