Salisbury council reorganizes leadership; April Jackson elected president, Sharon DeShield vice president

A surprise motion to reorganize Salisbury’s five-member city council led to a new leadership team this week, with April Jackson elected council president and Sharon DeShield chosen as vice president.

Councilwoman Melissa Holland introduced the motion during the council meeting, saying, "I call for a motion of a reorganization of the city council." Solicitor Bache advised council members that, in her view, the charter permitted a reorganization in that context, and the motion advanced to a vote. Council members Holland, Jackson and DeShield voted in favor; Angela Blake and Michelle Gregory voted against the change. Under the rules the mayor read aloud, the first nominee to secure three votes would become president; Jackson received the required three votes and the mayor declared her president.

The reorganization came after a recent special session to review the city clerk’s situation. Guests who attended the meeting said Melissa Holland had requested that closed session and that Julie English, the city clerk, left the room while council, HR and the solicitor discussed the matter. One guest summarized the closed session as an attempt "to clear the air" about how the clerk’s duties and treatment had been handled.

Observers in the audience, including local journalist Josh Davis, reacted visibly when the motion was made; guests described a stunned silence followed by staff members sending messages and taking photos. Several guests criticized former council president Angela Blake’s handling of meetings, saying she sometimes appeared unfamiliar with procedural rules; one guest said that perception contributed to the decision to seek new leadership.

Speakers on the program framed the change as likely to affect the relationship between the council and Mayor Randy Taylor and to shift priorities toward infrastructure and city services. A city official and program guests noted the council had just approved a five-year capital improvement plan (CIP) and that the city had recently received $24,000,000 in state funds for water and sewer projects. A speaker also said the waterworks department had secured "over 34-ish million dollars" for replacement of a water plant.

Councilmembers and guests repeatedly pressed for a review of the council’s appointment process. On the broadcast, Melissa Holland and others said the appointment process should be placed on the agenda immediately, while broader election reform and ranked-choice voting could be left for a ballot measure and voter consideration. Residents who spoke during public comment urged the council to hold an informational session about ranked-choice voting so the community can better understand the proposals.

During public comment, Lana Foley, identified as a Salisbury resident, asked for more accessible opportunities for public input and said, "I have been home for a whopping 45 minutes today, and I come here because I do find it is important," urging the council to provide alternatives to late-night meetings that some residents find difficult to attend. A city representative said the mayor’s office can be reached at rtaylor@salisbury.md or by phone at 548-3100 for residents who prefer to submit input electronically.

Program guests noted a special work session listed for Feb. 23 but said the city website had not yet posted an agenda; they expected appointment-process changes and other organizational items to be discussed in upcoming meetings. The reorganization and requests to act on appointment procedures and housing policy set a near-term agenda for the council under its new leadership.