How Can Salisbury City Council Get Anything Done!

SALISBURY -- Although it has not made public who is being considered for the job, the City Council is expected to appoint an attorney today to handle several ethics complaints filed against council members during the past month.
In a Wednesday public memo to council members, Council President Terry Cohen said the City Clerk's office is still working to identify possible attorneys or retired judges to serve as an adviser to the Ethics Commission in upcoming hearings for the complaints.
Cohen, Council Vice President Debbie Campbell, Councilwoman Shanie Shields, Councilman Tim Spies and City Attorney Mark Tilghman have ethics complaints filed against them; therefore, outside legal counsel must be hired.
Shields filed a complaint against Spies on Jan. 10 for participating in discussions regarding rental inspection legislation and appointment of a new city attorney while he's involved in litigation with the city. In turn, Spies filed a complaint against Shields on Jan. 13 regarding her financial relationship with her landlord.
Former council President Mike Dunn filed complaints against Campbell, Cohen, Spies and Tilghman on Jan. 24, the day after Tilghman was appointed city attorney. In his complaint, Dunn lists several alleged conflicts of interest regarding the three council members, including campaign contributions and other political support from the Tilghman family, as well as Spies' voting on legal counsel matters while involved in litigation with the city.
The council decided to seek counsel from outside Wicomico County to avoid any possible connections between council members and local attorneys.
"The nature of the complaints themselves are, if you've taken a campaign contribution or had lunch with anybody ... it makes it so hard to hire (an attorney) who has any kind of relationship with the city," Cohen said.
Also at today's work session, the council will continue discussions on a redistricting plan set forth by Mayor Jim Ireton in early November.
The mayor's proposal would add two members to the council and provide more representation for the city's growing minority population.