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This is the question I am getting as I go about my business in town and in the county.
"I saw that the Oxford Chief of Police was let go 'for cause.' What does that mean? What happened?" is the usual phrasing.
My answer? " I don't know what instigated a 'for cause' termination. That is confidential and cannot be disclosed by the parties involved." It's the same answer you would get anywhere in a similar situation.
What I can talk about is the fact that since February of 2023, Oxford's Police Department has been in turmoil. That's because when long time Chief Pat Maxwell suddenly "retired", the town took an ugly turn that enabled citizens to discover many shady dealings and back room deals by former Commissioners and town administration that made some people money, put certain people in positions of power over others, gave extreme advantages to some, and created a divide in the town of those who were favored and those who were not.
Thankfully, with the hiring of a professional, qualified and competent Town Manager and staff and the elections of Commissioners Bell, Donovan, and Greer, actions like those have stopped.
In 2023, Maxwell's "retirement" was proceeded by a sneaky "whispering campaign" allegedly started by town officials who, for one reason or another, wanted him gone but had no cause. The details of this campaign were so ridiculous that to imagine anyone would believe it is incredible. But some did. I even had one real estate agent tell me that if "You knew what Maxwell did, you wouldn't support him." Strangely, he could not and would not elaborate.
Those who know tells us there was "nothing in his files" that would indicate that Maxwell should go. Knowing that, the town made Maxwell sign a "non-disclosure agreement" so he could retain his health insurance. * He is still an officer in good standing according to the State of Maryland and has a letter to prove it.
Those who know also realize that Maxwell did not make friends among the town administration and commissioners in power during that time. He was a police chief focused on actually enforcing laws in town. He also was never one to keep his opinions to himself, something people in charge didn't like. They searched for his replacement for months before the "retirement", sneaking around like a bunch of back door porch pirates. They hired Eric Kellner before the ink was dry on the town's NDA.
And that is where the Oxford PD woes began.
After approximately a year, Chief Kellner, whose idea of police enforcement was begging people to be nice and follow speed and drunk driving laws, stepped down from being Chief. At that point, Chris Phillips, who had worked for the town since 2021, became interim and then full time Chief. He was supported by many in the town, including myself, because we saw how he operated when working with Chief Maxwell. We loved the idea of him and his young family living in the townhouse Oxford would provide and of him being a resident of town and on site.
It may have been a dream that's time has passed. There are no Andy Griffiths anymore. There are no Wally Jones nowadays. There are no Pat Maxwells. Many in the new generation of law enforcement seek a nine to five job without late night calls.
And who can blame them with the environment for law enforcement in 2025 Maryland? With an Attorney General who has openly stated his dislike for police and with citizen review boards everywhere just waiting to condemn a police officer for looking cross eyed at a citizen stopped for any crime, Maryland has become one of the most unfriendly states for law enforcement in the country.
It's a difficult job at best, even when people are on your side. Most of us couldn't do it. Imagine when the State is against you?
However, when one takes a job that pays around $100,000 a year and gives you a home to live in for a paltry $200 a month, there should be expectations that occasionally, especially in a small town like Oxford which has a mostly retired population, you are expected to get out of bed past midnight and answer a call. Also, it's not like Oxford is a hotbed of illegal activity. It truly is a modern-day Mayberry.
It has happened at least once in the last year when a criminal tried to evade Talbot County deputies by speeding down Oxford's main street at 90 mph. When the deputies called the Chief to help with a search after the guy ditched his car, Phillips didn't pick up. They ended up calling Maxwell for help. His help allowed them to find and arrest the suspect.
There were also complaints that police were not seen patrolling nor stationing themselves at the entrance to town to stop speeders. In the past year, residents have spoken about this in at least five town meetings. These are complaints the Chief and the town had to address.
So, whatever "cause" was on Tuesday, the release was likely proceeded by recommendations that things needed to improve.***
The dismissal doesn't come without a price for both the Chief and the town.
The Chief may take a ding to his reputation, and his wife and two small children will have to move again. He will need to find another job, possibly in police work. He shouldn't have a problem with that since police are at a premium right now. He likely won't get an offer that matches up to what he had in Oxford.
The Commissioners currently in place who voted unanimously to dismiss Chief Phillips, will be attacked by the people who had been the favored few in town for a decade under the former Town Manager. Even a couple of former Commissioners have chimed in. One already has commented in a local paper. They see this as a way to influence a town election in '26 and a way to remove the current President of the Commissioners since June 2025, Katrina Greer, because they don't like that she has worked hard to bring professionalism, fairness, and financial stability to a town that has had a large structural deficit and overt favoritism. She, the other current commissioners, and the new Town Manager have also discovered some suspect past actions of town administrations.
One former Commissioner, who no longer lives in town, began his 2026 campaign to unseat Greer in 2025, making derogatory comments about her efforts to get the town's budget under control and to make sure the town is run transparently and professionally. He recently made comments in a section of another local newspaper article that 7 employees had been fired during Greer's tenure. His information was incorrect.
Let's look at that. During the time Greer has been in office six (6) employees have voluntarily retired or left their jobs in Oxford. In one particular case, the reason given was the job was too stressful, and the employee wanted more time with family. They now work happily in another jurisdiction and left without ill-feelings. Two employees, including Chief Phillips, were dismissed with cause.
We didn't count one potential employee, who had been hired after the previous Town Manager, Cheryl Lewis, supposedly did a background check but failed to disclose or uncover charges of the man exposing himself to elementary children in the past; charges that several Oxford citizens discovered just in the nick of time. The man never spent one day on the job after Commissioners were told. Oxford dodged a bullet. Predator not hired.
The former Commissioner may also have forgotten that during his one term tenure, he signed the disastrous Strand Beach Restoration Project contract with Underwood and Associates, a project that led to the disfiguring of the Strand in what was termed "Phase One." The project was found to be out of compliance with the policies of several state and federal agencies and in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Underwood project was so bad that Phases 2 and 3 have been cancelled due to many problems including poor design by the company. These were the phases that would have prevented flooding by lifting the Strand Road and Parking Lot. This cost the town millions in grant money due to a contractor who promised everything and delivered almost nothing.
The former Commissioners who signed the contract never conducted oversight of Underwood. They left that to Lewis, who was unqualified (and possibly unwilling) to oversee the engineering and completion of the work. With no oversight, the contractor was left to do as he wanted with the project regardless of permits or the original design presented. Thanks to the efforts of current town manager Wahl, several commissioners, and some knowledgeable townspeople, Oxford avoided paying hefty fines from the State and Federal Government and, at the very least, brought the work into compliance.
Yet, the Strand will never be the beautiful beach it was.
The Strand Project has also triggered a lawsuit from a resident due to promises made to him by the former administration and commissioners; promises that were allegedly never fulfilled.
Also during this Commissioner's tenure, deals were made for town projects that benefited certain organizations and citizens to the disadvantage of the town and taxpayers, and the Town Manager hired a family member for an $80,000 a year job they were not qualified for.
And, if he wants to cite transparency, it's almost laughable after the one-person, secretive rule the Town had since 2012, including when he was in office.
Finally, this person was on the Commission when they forced the resignation of long time Maintenance Supervisor Scott Delude for undisclosed reasons and forced the "retirement" of Chief Maxwell. (This Commissioner was President of the Commission during the Maxwell situation.)
What is it they say about people in glass houses? Certainly, he has a right to his opinions, but this targeted attack against one town commissioner seems personally motivated rather than being based on actual facts. He should take a seat on this one.
What happened on Tuesday is regretful. I know the Commissioners would love nothing more than to provide stability in the Oxford Police Department. They wanted to hire a third officer, but in today's climate in Maryland, it hasn't happened. The paperwork to get LEOPS (Law Enforcement Officers’ Pension System (Maryland) – a retirement plan for police and certain law enforcement personnel.) process going, went unfiled by the current Chief past the deadline. LEOPS might have helped in hiring a third officer.
The Commissioners wanted Phillips to be our Chief. Sometimes unpredictable actions and circumstances precipitate tough decisions that dash those wishes.
What will happen going forward? Currently, we have been told that the town is working with the Talbot County Sheriff's Office to assure more than adequate coverage. This doesn't necessarily mean that the idea of an Oxford Police Department is dead, but it may have to be put on hold for a while for staffing and financial reasons. Two OPD police officers with salaries and other benefits have cost the town upwards of $200,000 a year. This is unsustainable in a town dealing with the need to prevent damage to homes and infrastructure from storm water and tidal flooding among other issues.
Contracting with the Talbot County Sheriff's Department will likely provide similar, if not better, coverage for a lower cost, particularly if certain deputies can be "assigned" to the town.
So, to answer the original question posed in our article, reality happened. A mismatch of person and position happened. No one is the "bad guy" in this situation.
Oxford is still in the recovery and clean up phase of what was over a decade of hidden deals, duplicitous actions, and unfettered spending. That can't be undone quickly. It can't be done without tough decisions some won't like. There are those in town who would love to go back to the "way it was" in that time between 2012 and 2023. They are the ones who got favors and still feel entitled to them.
Thanks, but no thanks.
We can endure some bumps on the way to getting our town government back on track. That is reality. When we disagree with decisions, we can express that in town meetings, etc. without fear of retribution.
As someone said to me yesterday, "You and I really have the same hopes for a better Oxford most of the time."
I agree.
EDITOR'S Note: We wish Chris Phillips and his family the best as they move forward.
**HIPAA’s nondiscrimination rules prohibit employers from denying group health plan eligibility or benefits based on health status or other unrelated factors. Coverage cannot be conditioned on signing an NDA, since NDAs are unrelated to health factors or insurance eligibility.
***The MEANING of "With Cause":Being fired “with cause” means your employer is terminating you for a specific, legitimate reason—usually tied to misconduct, violation of company policy, or poor performance. It’s different from being let go “without cause” (like layoffs), because it implies fault on the employee’s part.
There is a Town Meeting on Monday, November 24th. As always, we encourage citizens of Oxford to attend. For details, go to Oxford, MD | Official Website
