Author: delmarvatimes.com
Editorial By JOHN MYRICK FOR GOVERNORDR. BRENDA J. THIAM FOR LT. GOVERNOR January 23rd, 2026 As Maryland faces yet another huge budget deficit, the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits (OLA) continues to uncover evidence of massive fraud, waste, and abuse of our taxpayer dollars nearly every day. According to reports, the OLA has uncovered $992 million in “questionable Taxpayer-funded transactions” over 3 State agencies in the last 60 days! In 2025, it was reported that the Maryland State Highway Administration “knowingly charged” $360 million in unauthorized expenses to federal projects. The U.S. Department of Transportation, at some point in time,…
Wicomico County, Maryland. — Wicomico County has officially entered into a 287(g) immigration enforcement partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, County Executive Julie Giordano announced Friday. The agreement, unveiled in a joint press release with Sheriff Mike Lewis, establishes a Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model. Under this structure, ICE will train and certify designated county personnel to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on individuals already detained in the county jail. County officials emphasized that the sheriff’s office itself is not part of the agreement. Giordano said the partnership takes effect immediately, marking the culmination of months of internal…
ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers have introduced a sweeping new proposal that would sharply restrict when law enforcement officers may cover their faces while on duty, marking one of the most significant police-transparency measures considered in recent years. Senate Bill 1, pre-filed for the 2026 legislative session and backed by more than a dozen Democratic senators, would require the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to create a statewide model policy prohibiting officers from wearing opaque face coverings during the performance of their duties. All law enforcement agencies operating in the state — including federal, out-of-state, and local departments — would…
A group of Maryland state senators has introduced legislation that would bar state and local agencies from participating in federal civil‑immigration enforcement programs, marking a significant shift in how Maryland jurisdictions interact with federal authorities. Senate Bill 245, sponsored by Senators Smith, Ferguson, and Lewis Young, would prohibit the State, counties, municipalities, and sheriffs’ offices from entering into any “immigration enforcement agreement” with the federal government. The bill defines such agreements broadly, covering contracts, intergovernmental service agreements, and memoranda of understanding that authorize local officials to enforce federal civil‑immigration law. This includes arrangements made under federal statutes such as 8…
Wicomico County, Maryland — The Wicomico County Council has decided to remove the Lord’s Prayer from the opening of its meetings, where it was traditionally recited before the Pledge of Allegiance. This decision was made in response to a single complaint filed by an individual from Wisconsin. The Council acted without holding a formal hearing and without seeking input from the citizens it represents. The stated justification was that the inclusion of the Lord’s Prayer violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. However, the Council received weak legal advice from its attorney who either misunderstands the Constitution or was…
Starting January 1, 2026, Worcester County will apply a higher lodging tax on short-term rentals. This follows a request from the Ocean City City Council to implement this change early in 2025. The tax will rise from 5% to 6% for rentals lasting four months or less, which includes hotels, motels, condos, cottages, apartments, and similar overnight accommodations. This lodging tax is added to the total cost paid by the guest. Rentals exceeding four months by the same tenant will not be subject to this tax. Property owners who rent out spaces must register with the county and submit monthly…
WORCESTER COUNTY, MD – During the budget hearing for the Worcester County Board of Education on December 2, 2025, Board member Katie Addis (District 6) shared significant news. After three years dedicated to revealing issues within the school system, she has made the tough decision to resign with grace. Watch her announcement below: Since the beginning of my time on the board, I’ve always said I would be in this seat to try and invoke change for the greater good of Worcester County. I wanted this so badly because I wanted my children to eventually go to school here. After…
When public trust is already stretched thin, Maryland doesn’t need an accountability office that dodges its own accountability and ironically turns its power against the people it serves. Yet that is precisely the problem unfolding between the Somerset County Board of Education and the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education (OIGE). This isn’t about partisan politics or personalities. It’s about the rule of law, and the OIGE’s troubling misunderstanding of it coupled with his insistence on inventing authority in law, statutes, rules, regulations, articles, policies, and procedures where none exists. On November 18, 2025, we released this article…
On Wednesday, November 19, 35-year-old Terrance Terrone White, Jr. from Salisbury was found guilty of being involved in a straw purchase of a firearm and two counts of unlawfully possessing a regulated firearm. This verdict followed a three-day jury trial overseen by Associate Judge M. Maciarello. White’s sentencing has been delayed until a pre-sentencing investigation is completed. A “straw purchase” occurs when someone illegally buys a firearm for another individual who is not allowed to own one or for someone who wants to keep their identity hidden from the transaction. On November 16, 2024, White sold a gun to…
Recently, a small cadre of developers and their supporters cosigned a letter in this publication concerning the debate over Downtown parking and the proposed development projects. Their general point was to criticize the leadership—translation me—for not offering blanket support, dismissing the substantive concerns raised by myself and others. The majority of their article focused on the history of the perceived parking problem and the associated math behind what they claim is excess parking. They then attempted to align this supposed surplus with the potential demand from new “Hallmark” projects, painting idyllic scenes of strolling families, hot chocolate in hand, dogs…
