Testimony to Salisbury City Council on Charter Amendment Resolution 2026-3

Testimony to Salisbury City Council on Charter Amendment Resolution 2026-3

May 26, 2026 

My name is Steuart Pittman. I am not a Salisbury resident, but I represent the 8,777 Salisbury residents who are members of the Democratic Party as their State Party Chair. I also serve as Anne Arundel County Executive. 

As County Executive, I have been responsible for eight budgets and collective bargaining with eleven labor unions. I have governed with fiscal discipline, improved our county’s bond ratings, welcomed new bargaining units, and may be the only county leader in the state to propose an FY27 budget with a property tax rate decrease. 

When I heard that a majority of Salisbury City Councilmembers intended to remove collective bargaining rights from its charter as a fiscal measure, I found it puzzling. There is no cost savings from taking workers’ rights away. Contracts are negotiated in the context of the county’s revenues. We don’t promise what we can’t pay for, but we negotiate in good faith with our unions and have only been to arbitration once in my tenure, and the county prevailed. 

On the contrary, unions have done for our county government what elected officials often fail at. They make a case to taxpayers that their money is put to good use. They testify at budget town halls, and they build support for investments in the departments where they work. 

Good labor relations is good business, and it’s good government. The Charter Amendment before you is an attempt by a mayor to blame city workers for his failure to manage both finances and personnel. 

As Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, the news of this charter amendment was not puzzling at all. It was a call to action. 

Union busting is contrary to the values of the Democratic Party. Salisbury is a city of proud working people, most of whom identify as Democrats or Independents. 

If the Salisbury City Council votes in support of Charter Amendment Resolution 2026-3, the Maryland Democratic Party will mobilize in partnership with the Wicomico Democratic Central Committee, AFSCME, IAFF, FOP, and Salisbury residents who support their public servants to collect the signatures needed to take this question directly to the voters.

 

Once the charter amendment appears on the ballot, we will make sure that voters have the information they need to stand up and defend their public servants against scapegoating by politicians. 

We as a party heard loud and clear in our 24-county Talk Back Tour last fall that it’s time to take a stand for working people and the unions that represent them. So that’s what we’re doing in Salisbury. 

Respectfully, 

Steuart Pittman 

Maryland Democratic Party Chair