This morning we were sent a long letter from a citizen of Oxford which was posted on social media. The letter was addressed to the Town Commissioners from Russell Gray. It's his assessment of the state of the town and its current leadership. Russ is a common speaker at town meetings when he is in attendance. Rumor has it he is running for office in 2028 if sitting Commissioner Norm Bell doesn't choose to run again.
I write this with all due respect for Mr. Gray and acknowledge his right to his opinions. This article is to address those opinions from my perspective and to add facts.
The letter is rather long, so we are going to address each issue as he writes about them. Unfortunately, this makes for a long read. Our apologies to our readers. We suggest you get a cup of coffee.
First, a history lesson. While Mr. Gray complains about the leadership of the current commissioners and town manager, we need to remind everyone where the town was between 2012 and 2023. It was a time of turnover in town staff because the oversight and decision making of the prior administration and commissioners was severely lacking.
During that time, the town suffered under the mismanagement of a town manager and town commissioners who did/allowed the following: (those who know the history may wish to skip this long list)
- Allowed the town manager to hire her daughter to be the town planner, earning her daughter a salary of approximately $80,000. She did not disclose to the citizens of Oxford that the newly hired employee was her daughter. Most didn't find out until it was revealed in 2023. The claim was that no one else applied.
- Forced the retirement of the long time police chief.
- Counted grant amounts received by the town as income the town had on hand. This is against generally accepted accounting measures, particularly if those grant amounts are used to mask municipal deficits or are treated as operating income. This led the town to appear to have more funds on hand than it did.
- Listed loan amounts as income in town budgets. (A loan is generally not considered revenue or income because it creates a liability that must be repaid.)
- Allowed a contractor to destroy Oxford's beautiful beach under the guise of flood mitigation while ignoring actual catastrophic flooding in no less than five other locations in the town. Now the town is stuck with an ugly beach, plants the town must maintain, and working to mitigate flooding in other neighborhoods using town maintenance staff. This project has triggered a lawsuit from one resident.
- Allowed the outgoing town manager to do the job search for her replacement. She didn't do a proper background check, and the town inadvertently hired a man charged with sexually harassing school children outside a school. He was here for three days and then let go.
- Postponed needed purchase and installation of water meters and implementation of an online water billing system.
- Violated/ignored the town charter, code, and practices when it came to balancing the budget and requiring permits for construction projects.
- Entered into leases for town property that were not advantageous to the town.
- Didn't list all town properties on town insurance policies, thus putting the town at financial risk.
- Failed to maintain the water treatment plant as required thus incurring fines for being out of compliance.
This doesn't list everything, but that would take too long. We are not relitigating the past, but we also can't pretend it didn't happen if we wish to move forward.
Some people who lived in the town at the time were happy about all of that. Why? They were the chosen few who were often treated with favor by the town administration and who fancied themselves as elite town residents.
Let's get on with it.
Here is the letter Mr. Gray sent to the Commissioners and posted on Facebook. Our questions to him and responses are in bold italics.
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the letter
Attached is a letter I sent to the Commissioners that summarizes the several comments and concerns that have been observed and shared with me by many in town who feel that Oxford needs to re-examine the path it has been pursuing to maintain the community that we all love:
To: Oxford Town Commissioners
Town of Oxford, Maryland
Subject: An Open Call for Greater Responsiveness, Transparency, and Community Partnership
Dear Commissioners,
I am writing to express a growing sense of disappointment and concern about the direction of our town government and what appears to be an increasing disconnect between the priorities of Town leadership and the expressed needs and expectations of Oxford residents. Some of you have commented that many individuals from all areas in town speak with me regularly on multiple issues. This letter attempts to assemble several of those shared thoughts.
Please describe and list those priorities of Town Leadership that are disconnected from Oxford residents. Which residents? How many representatives of the entire town stated these declarations? How did Mr. Gray come to represent these town residents? Is there a specific group the rest of us should be aware of?
If the Oxford residents have such different needs and expectations from leadership, why was there only ONE candidate for Commissioner in the 2026 election and why did she win with so many votes? Why didn't Mr. Gray run if he and others felt so disconnected?
Is Mr. Gray claiming that suddenly all the people who voted for Greer had a change of heart and ran to him instead of her to express concerns on "multiple issues"? Or is he hearing from the same 16 people who wrote his name on the write-in ballot? Are those the "many individuals"?
I want to begin by emphasizing something important: We all want our Commissioners and Town leadership to succeed. Your success should be our success. We recognize that governing a small town involves difficult decisions, competing priorities, and challenges that do not always lend themselves to simple solutions. However, effective leadership requires more than making decisions. It requires listening, considering alternatives, communicating openly, and demonstrating that the concerns of residents genuinely influence the decisions being made.
Good. I think we all should want them to succeed as well. I am not sure how many town meetings Mr. Gray has been to this year, but he must have missed all the discussion of alternatives, all the communication and listening these commissioners and town manager have done with residents in work and regular sessions. In fact, Commissioners have almost gone overboard on listening and discussion to the point that meetings are marathons and endurance challenges to those in attendance. This is in direct opposition to how meetings were conducted for over 12 years.
Next Mr. Gray defends an argument for making difficult decisions on one hand as a characteristic of being an effective leader and denies it in the very next sentence. In the context of this discussion, it is equally important to remember that effective leadership and management involve protecting the interest of the greater good of the town, while being sensitive to citizen directed priorities. Mr. Gray seems to think that these difficult decisions Commissioners make should only be made if they make all citizens happy. We all know that isn't possible.
Gray forgets the reality of the situation in Oxford. That reality is clearly explained in dollars and cents, specifically the town budget which is extremely limited. The Town of Oxford is not the federal government and cannot print its own money. It also cannot have a budget that isn't balanced according to law and the town charter.
That means that Oxford citizens cannot have it all without a sharp increase in town income via taxes, permit fees, etc.
Let's not forget how the town overspent its budget for over a decade, leaving nothing in the stormwater management fund which is required to be maintained by every municipality in Maryland. This put citizens and property in the town in peril.
Over the past three years, many residents have expressed frustration with what they perceive as a lack of responsiveness from Town government that appears to be getting worse. While communications from the Town may be frequent, detailed communication should not be confused with transparency, nor should the opportunity to speak be confused with being heard. Residents need to understand not only what decisions are being made, but why they are being made, what alternatives have been considered, and how public concerns have influenced the outcome.
Okay, I really have to call Mr. Gray out on this one. First, "lack of responsiveness." What does that mean? Does it mean no one answers the phone or emails in the town office? Do the commissioners not respond to emails? What is the expectation here which is not being met? Generalities are not helpful here.
Yes, the town does send out frequent and detailed communication. Yet, Mr. Gray doesn't think this and public comment is "transparency"? Then what is?
Let’s review a recap of Town communications and deliberation procedures and processes that do try to engage citizens and include citizen influences in deliberative discussions among elected officials:
- All meetings, discussions are open, agendas are posted, all issues are introduced and deliberated during town meetings which are accessible and streamed online.
- Alternatives and options are deliberated within the context of governance requirements – adhering to current policy, regulations and requirements. These are weighed in context of residents' concerns when feasible leading to modifications to policies, ordinances, code.
Decisions are explained over and over in writing and in town meetings.
However, in meetings, people don't always listen to detailed explanations or, once their "issue" is no longer being discussed, leave the meeting. Watch a meeting when something about the OCC, the Robert Morris Inn, etc. is being discussed. As soon as that discussion is done, the group of people involved stand up and leave while carrying on loud, rude conversations on their way out the door. This disrupts the meeting while they leave.
Is it the town's fault if citizens aren't really paying attention? Is it the town's fault when people are not in attendance at meetings when actions are explained? What should the town do about that? Go door to door?
Many of the town's actions do demonstrate residents’ concerns have been genuinely heard. But that does not mean that everyone will agree or be satisfied with the outcome. That doesn't mean the deliberations, decisions and outcomes are not genuine and meaningful.
Too often, it seems that the Town is moving in a direction that differs from the expressed priorities of its residents. Rather than approaching difficult issues with an open consideration of alternatives, there is a perception that decisions are driven by a preference for regulations, administrative convenience, or predetermined outcomes. This approach risks losing sight of a fundamental responsibility of Town leadership: to serve as stewards of the extraordinary community entrusted to your care.
Mr. Gray claims to know the expressed priorities of the residents of Oxford. For example he and other residents want lawn and leaf pick up as a priority. In case they haven't noticed, we have that now. Of course, collection is not being done by the town maintenance staff, but by an outside contractor one to two times a month. Does who does the collection really matter to people so much? Why? I suggest that Mr. Gray, and some others, won't be happy until the town maintenance staff, a skilled group of workers, is back doing collection again instead of saving the town millions by completing flood mitigation and infrastructure projects.
Is this because of prejudice against the outside contractor who collects the lawn and leaf waste? Or is it because some residents think they can convince town staff, if they are collecting lawn waste, to go beyond collection limits and also collect contractor waste and save homeowners a few dollars while costing the town time and money?
Lets talk priorities. What can be a larger priority than mitigating flooding from stormwater or tidal flooding in our town? Maybe that isn't a priority to Mr. Gray because he has a flood gate installed in front of his home which protects it. Others in more flood prone areas don't have that and the town is trying to rectify that situation.
Isn't the town taking action to protect our property values, make us resilient to stormwater, flooding, etc.? Aren't these actions which were designated by citizens as our top priority in the comprehensive plan? What is the basis of this alleged perception that decisions are driven by a preference for regulations, administrative convenience, or predetermined outcomes? Who is driving these perceptions?
It is also important to remember that the current Town management had to work hard to sort out what was addressed, what had previously been neglected, and what is required under existing ordinances and state and federal law. Many "inherited” situations e.g., the Strand Project, needed to be corrected. That takes time and money.
Good management requires understanding the regulations, ordinances, requirements as much as it requires understanding the character of the town and its citizenry. As much as we may not like it, enforcement of those requirements that result in stricter measures such as permitting are a necessary part of protecting the character and public interest of the town and the safety and living standards of its citizens.
Oxford is not simply another municipality to be administered. It is a valued treasure, with a distinctive character, history, and sense of community that generations of residents have worked to preserve. The responsibility of Town leadership is not merely to manage Oxford, but to protect the qualities that make it special.
I will agree on one point. Oxford is special. It is a valued treasure, one that was nearly driven over the financial cliff in the past. My husband's family was among those residents who built this town long before Mr. Gray knew or cared that it existed. I won't hold that against him. I'm merely stating the fact for context.
However, critical area regulations and stormwater permitting requirements have changed over time and involve more complex outside driven regulations than ever before. These raise the level of reviews and sign offs required. The forces the town to recover the town’s costs in establishing permit fees.
Unfortunately, some project sponsors, owners or proprietors rely on outside consulting firms who may not be up to date on new requirements, and this has resulted in rounds and rounds of discussions and challenges invoking state inspectors. Sometimes the result is extra fees, delays etc.
Push back against information provided by town staff regarding these requirements and supported by licensed professionals can increase the animosity and assign blame or ill intent on professionals fulfilling their obligations to the town. No one likes to be told what to do especially when they don't want to do it.
We have looked at issues relating to police coverage, flood mitigation, budget, local business support, short term rental, annexation and non -domiciled voting, among many others. Some, such as lawn and leaf debris removal have not been resolved.
Sadly, Oxford is also a town faced with the financial and practical realities of 2026. The town, like many other small towns, can no longer afford its own police force. It has to address flood mitigation. It supports businesses as much as it can without becoming embroiled in throwing limited public money into private ventures. Short term rentals are important issues everywhere particularly if you have one near you and there isn't one town or jurisdiction where everyone is happy with how they are handled.
Annexation? Has that raised its head again? As for the voting issue, that is one that is tricky to solve since many permutations and possibilities exist.
And, as I said, lawn and leaf debris removal has been resolved for now. Some, like Mr. Gray, just don't like how it has been resolved within the town's budget and staffing restraints. They won't be until it is done exactly as they want, when they want, by the people they want.
Whether intended or not, the prolonged uncertainty and lack of strategic planning for key issues creates the impression that the Town is engaged in a waiting game, hoping that residents' objections will eventually subside. They will not. These concerns are not simply resistance to change. They reflect legitimate questions about services, priorities, responsiveness, and the relationship between Town government and the people it serves.
I'm glad Mr. Gray brought up strategic planning since he is a member of the Town Planning Commission who created the town's comprehensive plan over two years. The priorities in that plan are clear, and the commissioners and town office are following that plan. Has Mr. Gray unilaterally decided it should be thrown out? Or has he forgotten about the plan entirely?
As to the relationship between the town government and the people it serves, the Town Manager and Commissioners are easily accessible and easy to talk to. Just because one doesn't get the answers they want doesn't mean staff and officials aren't available and listening.
The phrase "prolonged uncertainty" is also interesting. What is Mr. Gray uncertain about? Let's see. Police coverage has certainly been competently handled by the Talbot County Sheriff's Office. Stormwater mitigation is certainly being addressed in Tilghman Street/Bank Street/Mill Street area by the maintenance crew. Fair long term rental fees, etc. are certainly being deliberated by the Commissioners. The Strand Parking Lot/Strand Road work is certainly in the planning process. The new town water meters were certainly installed by our maintenance crew. Our wastewater treatment plant filtering media is certainly being replaced to protect us from arsenic in the water. And, yes, leaf and lawn waste removal is certainly being done.
Perhaps the uncertainty is that some will not get exactly what they want and they can't get beyond that.
This example is not an isolated issue. It is part of a broader pattern that, over the past three years, has too often created conflict rather than consensus and frustration rather than confidence. Many residents feel that decisions are gradually changing the personality of Oxford without sufficient regard for the values and traditions that define our community.
Who are these "many residents" who feel that the personality of Oxford is being changed without regard for the values and traditions that define our community? What are these values and traditions that Mr. Gray so confidently speaks about? Who decided this is happening? Was it the 16 who wrote Mr. Gray's name on the write in ballot?
Truthfully, the personality of Oxford has changed. But it's not because of the Town Manager or the Commissioners. It's because times have changed. The residents of Oxford have changed. Instead of watermen and working-class families who used to live here, we have a small group of wealthy, aging, and yes, entitled residents who, in some cases, seem more interested in creating a retirement community than an active, vibrant town that can be resilient in the face of potential issues such as flooding, financial challenges, etc. This is not an insult to them. It's just an observation from someone who has lived here for over 50 years.
That perception has consequences. It creates unnecessary tension among neighbors, undermines confidence in Town leadership, and causes genuine stress for people who care deeply about Oxford. Perhaps the Commissioners do not believe the situation is as serious as some residents suggest. But perception matters, particularly when it is shared by a significant number of people.
Again, what is considered a significant number of people? I haven't seen this tension among my neighbors. What I have seen is people abusing town staff, calling them witches or screaming at them regarding an activity at a local event. I've heard people in meetings make racist comments regarding certain laborers working in town. Are those the actions of people who care about this town and our community? I'm not sure. They are an embarrassment to Oxford.
It is especially disheartening when residents of neighboring communities ask, "What is going on in Oxford?" That is a difficult question to answer, particularly for those of us who have always taken pride in the town and its reputation.
The question Mr. Gray references is one I get asked all the time. It is always followed up with a question about how the town let things go downhill so fast from 2012 to 2023. They wonder if anyone will ever be held accountable for what went on. But not one of them asks me about "What's going on in Oxford" because of the town's updated permitting processes and fee structures or lawn waste and leaf collection.
Beyond individual decisions, there is are other fundamental concerns: What is the long-term vision for Oxford? How can you get there without the support of the residents?
Again, the long-term vision. Isn't Mr. Gray on the Planning Commission? Shouldn't he know the vision? The Commissioners and town manager often refer to that vision via the Comprehensive Plan and town ordinances. If Mr. Gray and others don't agree with that vision or with the current town documents and rules in place, they should work to get them changed via the prescribed processes.
Also, significantly, leadership and management and the work of the Town are driven by, guided by and framed by priorities and needs as reflected in the annual budget and robust budget process that encouraged active citizen engagement for the first time in at least a decade. It's also driven by the recently updated Comprehensive Long-Range Plan, adopted through an extensive open process which involved two years of input from professionals, citizens etc.
And, unless the results of the last election are a fluke, the Town Manager and the Commissioners DO have the support of the residents.
Residents see a succession of individual actions, policy changes, and administrative decisions, but it is difficult to discern the larger strategy connecting them. What is the Town trying to achieve over the next five or ten years? How will that vision preserve Oxford's distinctive character? What priorities guide decisions, and how are residents involved in establishing those priorities?
Without a clearly articulated vision and methodology to get there, Town government risks becoming a series of transactional decisions rather than a collaborative effort to protect and strengthen our community.
Again, Mr. Gray should refer to the Comprehensive Long Range plan, agendas and minutes from meetings, budget documents, etc. He should also suggest these residents come forward and voice their concerns. It's what we did in 2023, much to the chagrin of the very people who are now complaining.
The last part of Mr. Gray's letter is a list of actions the Commissioners should take. Did I miss something because I see these actions in town meetings, work sessions, and in the conduct of town business. But then again, I go to meetings and I pay attention to what is being done.
I respectfully ask the Commissioners to consider a different approach going forward:
· Listen with the intent to respond. Public participation must be more than an opportunity for residents to express concerns. It should produce meaningful consideration, timely answers, and, when warranted, changes in direction.
That happens all the time.
· Provide greater transparency. Explain the alternatives considered, the reasoning behind decisions, and how community input has been incorporated.
Again, it is said with every decision. Mr. Gray just doesn't like the decisions made.
· Resolve outstanding issues. As an example, establish and communicate a workable plan for lawn and leaf collection and bulk debris removal, with a clear timetable for implementation. Listen and hear what the community is saying to you and find a way to integrate those views in the final solution.
They are doing that now and have said so over and over.
· Articulate a long-term vision. Share the Commissioners' strategy for Oxford's future and provide residents with a meaningful opportunity to help shape it.
Re-read the Comprehensive Plan and town minutes, etc.
· Make preservation of Oxford's character a guiding principle. Regulations and administrative procedures should serve the community, not become ends in themselves.
Regulations and administrative procedures are there to preserve Oxford's character and standards. That's why they have to be enforced.
I believe you would agree that these requests are not unreasonable. They reflect the basic expectations of residents who care about their town and want their elected officials to lead successfully.
Of course they are not unreasonable and they have been happening for two years.
I recognize that the Commissioners may not agree with every concern expressed here. Nor should anyone expect unanimity on every difficult issue. But disagreement should lead to thoughtful discussion and a genuine search for better solutions, not an increasingly adversarial relationship between Town government and its residents.
I'm not sure where the adversarial relationship is coming from that Gray references. It seems that, again, it may be his small circle of friends and supporters.
Oxford wants leadership that brings people together, builds confidence, and approaches its responsibilities with an appreciation for what makes this community exceptional.
We currently have that, much more than we ever have before. I remember citizens being yelled at and insulted by previous appointed and elected commissioners because they didn't want to hear opinions. I remember previous town administration refusing to engage with certain residents.
We want you to succeed. But lasting success will only come when residents are treated as partners in shaping Oxford's future, not as subjects of decisions made on their behalf.
Let's talk partnership. It occurs when people actively and positively PARTICIPATE. It cannot happen when people don't come to meetings or just come when their topic is being discussed and then leave. It can only happen when people actually pay attention to what is going on in the meeting. It can only happen when people care about the greater good of the entire town, and not just a small group.
I hope you will receive this letter in the constructive spirit in which it is intended. The concerns are real, the frustration is growing, and the opportunity to restore confidence remains within your reach.
Most of us have complete confidence in the job that is being done Mr. Gray. Just because you and your 16 supporters don't doesn't mean Commissioners are going something wrong.
Please listen, engage, and lead with the needs and values of Oxford's residents at the center of your agenda.
They already do all of that Mr. Gray. Are you truly paying attention?
Respectfully,
Russ Gray
EDITOR'S NOTE: These are specific actions /issues deliberated by the town in the recent past: (since 2025)
-Clarification of Vacation Rental Policies
-Updated Ethics Policy
-Clarification of voting eligibility
-Updated fee schedule
-Updated Stormwater management work
-Installation of new water meters and online payment, water usage monitoring
-Parking policy review initiated
-Improved and more accurate inspections, hiring better qualifies building inspectors-Implementation of permitting software
-Cost saving alternatives and measures
-Leaf and yard waste removal- discussion, survey, interim option of limited
contractual service is being implemented and evaluated.
-Ongoing work of Committees and Commissions (refer to all agendas and minutes).
Historic and Planning have begun to express process reviews that can be handled
administratively and /or with updated ordinances.
TOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:
oxfordmd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/934/Oxford2045CompPlan---FINAL-2026-08-10---Adopted
Serious Issues In Oxford; But They're Not What Some People Want You To Think - The Easton Gazette
Oxford Trade Off: Flood Prevention Vs. Yard Waste Removal - The Easton Gazette
Oxford's Financial Illusions Of The Past Lead To Difficult Decisions Now - The Easton Gazette
