Salisbury Mayor & City Council Pres. exchange letters following contentious meeting

SALISBURY, Md. – Following Monday night’s heated exchange between Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor and City Council President D’Shawn Doughty, Doughty sent a letter to the mayor this week addressing his conduct during the meeting.

Doughty wrote the letter to address the Mayor’s, “decorum and professionalism” at City Council meetings, specifically their most recent one where the two went back and forth over the council overriding the Mayor’s veto of an ordinance that would increase density downtown, paving the way for future development projects.

In the letter, Doughty said there were moments that negatively shifted the atmosphere in Council Chambers and introduced a sense of tension.

He said that if a positive and productive atmosphere can’t be maintained at city meetings, they will have to reevaluate the Mayor’s level of involvement at future meetings.

Mayor Randy Taylor sent Doughty a letter of his own Friday defending his conduct, saying he has shown deference in all council meetings and in that effort, has been shown disrespect by Doughty.

Mayor Taylor closed his letter by saying a positive and productive atmosphere begins with Doughty taking an open and respectful tone.