POCOMOKE CITY, Md. -- Mayor Todd Nock had a stern message for homeowners this week. He said he's not happy with the appearance of certain properties.
"It makes no sense. This town does not look welcoming," said Nock at Monday night's council meeting. "Who the hell is going to come here with a town that looks like that? Nobody."
Those are strong words that neighbor Takenya Crippen agrees with.
"I mean, he's just speaking the truth," said Crippen. "A lot of homeowners around here, I mean, it's not hard to keep up with your house."
Nock's comments referred to homes or properties with clear signs of neglect, like chipped paint, deteriorating roofs and broken fences. When we spoke with him on Friday, however, his tune had changed a bit.
He told WBOC his words were meant to inspire people to help Pocomoke keep moving in a positive direction.
"I don't want Pocomoke to be labeled as a place that doesn't take care, that doesn't clean up," said Nock. "So, I'm not necessarily saying that no one would move here, but what I am saying is we want our city to look welcoming and a part of that is definitely having our properties look in great shape."
Crippen said she wants to see the same thing, but she also would not mind help from the city.
"If he's[Mayor Nock] going to call them out, give them a lending hand, give them the directions where they need to go," said Crippen.
Nock said he's not looking for perfection.
"I would just like to see everybody carry their weight when we talk about those things, you know, minor things," said Nock. "I'm not asking for people's yards to look like the Taj Mahal, I'm just asking for them to clean up a little bit."
Nock said the city plans to hire more code enforcement staff to encourage property owners to clean up. According to Nock, the department began only five years ago and has only one staff member.