Eastern Shore Undercover Endorsement for Wicomico County Executive

Our first political endorsement of the November 2026 election comes after the candidate forum at Salisbury University. The forum was between current County Executive Julie Giordano and former council member Ernest Davis.

I tried to go into this forum with an open mind, but I have past experiences with both candidates. Those experiences swayed me more toward one side.

If you have followed this page for any amount of time, you know what we think about County Executive Julie Giordano. We believe County Executive Giordano is doing a wonderful job. I said it from the first day she took office, and I stand by it nearly four years later.

Is she perfect? No. Has she made every decision the public agreed with? No, and I think she would tell you the same.

Here is what stands out to me about County Executive Giordano. It is her character and her backbone.

There have been times when she has done things and made the decision that some people in the community did not agree with. Let's look at the Safari at the Quarry as one example.

The county executive believed she was doing something good for that area. She thought it would be a good event for Wicomico County, with a real economic impact.

The event drew strong opposition from a very small group of individuals, who made it their job to create drama for the county executive for many years now. I am not going to beat a dead horse, and I am going to keep this positive, as I said I would this election season.

What I will say is that she had a chance to take the easy road, give in to the pressure and pull out.... But she did not do that! She had given her word to the event coordinator, and she stood by that decision.

The easy path would have been to say this was not going to work out. But she did not take the easy path, she took the honorable path. She kept her word to the coordinator and the participants, good, bad, or in between.

I can say the same about the transparency MOU with Wicomico County. That agreement gave citizens more transparency and I think an overwhelming amount of citizens in Wicomico County agreed with it. The MOU gave local media outlets, including Eastern Shore Undercover, the ability to cover the news in this area.

Public comment at council meetings became heated, and the criticism grew strong over that decision. The easy path would have been to cancel those media MOU's and go back to less openness, less transparency and give in to some politicians that have served many years here in Wicomico County.

She did not do that. She held to her belief that the people of Wicomico County deserve to know what is happening in their communities and neighborhoods.

I also want to be open about one thing. The MOU that we signed with the county ended just a week after we signed it but that was our decision, and we made it for the greater good and to cause less trouble for the county executive.

Now let's move past character and look at experience. I could talk until I am blue in the face, but without facts, an endorsement is just words on a screen.

Julie Giordano was sworn in as Wicomico County Executive on December 6, 2022. She was the first woman elected to the office in Wicomico County. That caused her a lot of issues from the "Good Ole Boys" network that has been around Wicomico County for many years!

We've all seen the battles she has had with the council, with the sheriff, and through it all, she has stood tall and does the right thing for the citizens of Wicomico County.

Here is what I see when I look at her record and accomplishments she has made in the past 4 years. Lower taxes, stronger public safety, investment in employees and schools, big projects, airport growth, better parks, and a stronger financial position.

Start with taxes. The real property tax rate has come down from about 93 cents to about 78 cents per $100 of assessed value for fiscal year 2027.

That includes cuts to 84.68 cents in fiscal year 2025 and 80.99 cents in fiscal year 2026. The rate for fiscal year 2027 is 77.99 cents.

The county has done this while still passing balanced budgets. The fiscal year 2027 budget paired another tax cut with spending on public safety, schools, employees and projects.

The county has also kept strong bond ratings while cutting taxes and taking on big projects.

That shows tax relief and smart investment can go together.

Public safety has been a top priority. The fiscal year 2027 budget described a record investment in public safety, including the Sheriff's Office.

Money has also gone to Corrections, Emergency Services, fire and EMS. These are the people who show up on our worst days.

The administration reached a three-year agreement with the FOP for deputies. It is meant to improve pay, help hire and keep deputies, and bring more stability to the Sheriff's Office.

School safety is part of that record as well. The county supports School Resource Officers in schools and has invested in tools like weapons detection technology.

Support for volunteer fire and ambulance companies has grown a lot. By fiscal year 2024, audited statements showed more than $5.4 million for volunteer ambulance service and $3.1 million for volunteer fire departments, with more increases after that.

Schools have been funded while taxes came down. The fiscal year 2026 budget fully funded the Board of Education request at about $55.8 million in local money.

The county has moved the new Fruitland Primary School project forward, with a major county commitment. This is one of the biggest long-term investments in education the county has made.

The county also started the large HVAC replacement at Fruitland Intermediate. It put $1.9 million toward the start of that project in fiscal year 2026.

Improvements at Mardela Middle and High School have been completed as well. Residents can see that result for themselves.

Now let's talk about the Salisbury-Wicomico Regional Airport. It has seen runway extension work, taxiway improvements, water and sewer lines, fiber internet, hangar development and better access control.

In 2026 alone, the county was approved to pursue another $1.3 million FAA grant for the runway extension. That is federal money coming to our county.

The airport is also home to the new Aviation Maintenance Technician School. It is an FAA Part 147 program that trains people for real jobs in aviation maintenance.

It was built through partnerships with SWED, UMES, Salisbury University, Piedmont and others. It is a strong example of connecting education to jobs.

Passenger service has grown too, including Breeze Airways at SBY. That helps the airport serve the whole Lower Shore.

Hangar sites and new infrastructure at the airport are ready for private business. That treats the airport as a way to bring in jobs and not just a place to catch a flight.

The county pension system is stronger as well. It has moved from about 60 percent funded toward 80 percent, while the county kept making large contributions.

The county has also invested in its roughly 1,400 employees. Raises, pay adjustments and hiring efforts have come with a big drop in turnover, and these are the people who deliver county services every day.

Parks have seen real improvements. At WinterPlace Park, the old Shorebirds stadium lights were reused to create the first lighted athletic field on the east side of the county.

That is a smart use of what the county already owned. The county has also improved fields, parks and recreation spaces, which helps youth sports and brings in visitors for tournaments.

The new Schumaker Pond Library is moving ahead at the former Ward Museum property. The current library building can then be used for arts and culture.

The Port of Salisbury has also been a priority. Major phases of the Sharp's Point dredging project are done, and the county now has a lot of room for dredge material.

Roads, water and sewer lines are not flashy, but they matter. The administration has put real money into them because they are needed for future homes and businesses.

Economic development has become more visible under this administration. The county works with SWED and goes out to recruit businesses directly, including through ICSC.

The county executive has also stood up for farmland and for Wicomico's rural feel. She has pushed back on state rules she believes would use up too much farmland for large solar projects.

She has also taken on the backlog in septic and perc approvals. These delays can stop homes from being built or sold, so she has pushed for more local control and other options allowed under state rules.

The county created a Water and Sewer Technical Advisory Board. It gives the county a clear way to plan for growth.

Standing up for local control has been a trait of this administration. That includes immigration enforcement, environmental health, solar siting, agriculture, redistricting and other state mandates.

She has also been visible and easy to reach. State of the County events, public budget meetings, press conferences and public forums have kept the office in front of the people.

In 2026, the county hosted the Energy Solutions Summit. It brought leaders together to talk about the cost, supply and reliability of electricity in Maryland.

If I had to pick one big accomplishment, it would be this. County government has gone from just keeping things running to going after businesses, grants, roads, workers and growth.

I know this is long. If you made it this far, you really care about Wicomico County and this race.

For my wife and me, this is one of the easiest decisions of the 2026 election. Julie Giordano is the right candidate for County Executive.

She is doing a fantastic job right now. If it isn't broken, you don't fix it. Results don't lie! You may not like her personally but her leadership can't be debated. Wicomico County is in a better position now, then it was when she took office!

I have lived in Wicomico County since 2003. In my opinion, the county is in better shape today than at any point in those 23 years.

I look forward to the next four years. I hope Julie Giordano will have a council that works with her to build an even stronger Wicomico County.

You have read what she has done so far. Now think about what she could do with a cooperative county council.

We proudly endorse Julie Giordano for the position of Wicomico County Executive!!!