There is an unofficial petition being circulated the in back alleys of Rock Hall, calling for a special election to prematurely terminate my position as Mayor. It is an unofficial petition in as much as it has never been ratified by the Mayor and Council as required by our Town Code. Official or not, I will address it in response to a recent op-ed by Mr. Gren Whitman.
My term as mayor of Rock Hall began in May of 2011. I will be the first to admit that council meetings have often been characterized by a lack of civility and control. In the spirit of fairness and freedom of speech, I spared the gavel many times to allow the opposition to be heard. It is a wonder that anything was accomplished, but accomplish we did. My first two years as mayor are credited with several initiatives that should be mentioned so that the citizens of Rock Hall will be reminded that we are capable of being a forward thinking, model town. In just two short years, we dredged Rock Hall Harbor and introduced the Rock Hall Trams for local transportation. We partnered with Chesapeake College to create a very successful GED program in Rock Hall, and established an adult learning center in Rock Hall. We promoted family and community with Beach Fest-Saturday nights on the Rock Hall beach with family and friends to watch movies on the big screen and to enjoy the fun of beach parties. We successfully pursued a $1.2 million grant for the replacement of a water clarifier, and we received a $161,000 grant to refurbish the Civic Center tennis courts. We most recently dedicated the refurbished clam house, soon to be a marine retail center and a historical window to the watermen of Rock Hall. The ‘we’ I refer to is the mayor and council, working in concert with the great citizens of Rock Hall.
Why then is there an undercurrent of opposition calling for my recall? I refuse to be a puppet mayor. I do not and will not go along, to get along. I insulted Mr. Gren Whitman and others by supporting an opening prayer at our Town meetings. I am not satisfied to know that water and sewer services being sold to the County are done so at the expense of the Rock Hall taxpayer. I will not accept any contract that I do not understand or bears a Robert E. Willis signature that is not mine. I am continuously disappointed in a bidding process that is more often than not ‘who’s your favorite relative’. I am not naïve. I know that the culture of politics, even at this level, is to look the other way as the sausage is made. The taxpaying citizens are paying a price for these indiscretions. Mine has not been an easy path. My wife’s tire lug nuts have been loosened, two removed. Strange cars with strange men have visited our home, frightening our children.
Recall, I learn, is more often a political agenda of the opposition. If they cannot buy you, intimidate you, demean you or diminish you, they fire you. We can run our government from the grass roots or we can be run by the good old boys that have pulled the strings for years. I will not quit. This is what recall is about.
elaine fithian says
Editor,
Awesomely written! Perfectly said!