The Wednesday, August 20th edition of OPEN AGENDA is now available (S2 E35). At this week's County Council meeting, compliance with certain requirements of the NAACP's successful lawsuit against Wicomico County were brought before the Council. You may recall that the the lawsuit resulted in the creation of two additional council districts (soon to be 7 districts instead of 5) in order to expand minority representation. But there are additional county obligations under the lawsuit's settlement agreement that must still be addressed for which ONLY the Executive is responsible. Although the County Executive is obligated to develop and implement the compliance measures (the Council has no such authority) she has not informed the Council about what actions she is taking, and DID NOT attend the meeting to discuss these matters with the plaintiff's representatives. The Director and Deputy Director of Administration were also ABSENT. In typical fashion, the Executive simply couldn't be bothered. Have you ever wondered why the Executive refuses to attend Council meetings (even in the midst of a crisis), is unwilling to communicate, fails to comply with lawful requirements, and keeps herself insulated from her constituents (unless, of course, they're campaign donors or political allies)? Yet she somehow always finds an excuse for her failures, disengagement and conduct.
Later in the show we conduct an interview with Dr. Bonnie Ennis from the Wicomico County Board of Education to explore the many challenges faced by our schools, including funding, the need to replace obsolete facilities, and lack of parental engagement in their children's education. Now, don't turn off your TV when the credits roll at the end of the show because there's a little bit more that you'll find to be both interesting and concerning. Also, keep an eye peeled for Episode 36, which should be released on Friday Aug. 22. Tune in and be informed.
