Oxford Commissioners: Legislation Proposed In Maryland's General Assembly Threatens Local Control Of Development

Town Commissioners Encourage Citizens To Contact State Senators And Delegates

Imagine that you live in a small town where homes are comfortably spaced and you have a nice front and back setback from other homes in your neighborhood. Then, one morning you wake up and that empty lot next to you where a nice, medium sized home would fit, suddenly is marked off for two. Oh wait, it's marked off for four. A developer is going to build four tightly bunched homes right next to your house.

According to new laws proposed in the Maryland General Assembly that could happen soon if those laws are passed. Towns will have no way to legally stop it.

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The agenda for Tuesday night's meeting of the Oxford Commissioners was packed with several issues crucial to basic functions of Oxford government. It also contained a bombshell revelation at the end about bills proposed in the General Assembly to strip towns such as Oxford of their control over development.

Bicycle Trail Grant Plan: The meeting began with Sean Callahan of Lane Engineering discussing possible plans for a connection trail for pedestrians and bicycles from Oxford to the Conservation Park outside of town. The original grant was signed off on by the Oxford Commissioners in 2023, prior to the terms of the current Commissioners.

The original design started at the Oxford Inn and meandered through parts of the town adjacent to Pier Street East. It would require the path to cross private property and wetlands.

The path being proposed by Callahan would start at the end of Pier Street East at a cul-de-sac and would be built on top of an existing path that currently leads to Boone Creek Road. Options are a raised trail, an elevated walkway or an "at-grade" trail. Callahan stated the third option would be the most cost effective.

All but about 25 feet of the trail would be on county property and under their jurisdiction and maintenance. Here is a copy of the presentation:

The plan must be completed for the town to fulfill the requirements of the grant which totaled around $25,000. The town has to present a plan or forfeit their portion of the grant funds. The plans will be there if/when Talbot Thrive wants to complete the path.

The presentation was for the Commissioners to get feedback from residents.

Talbot County Sheriff's Office Report:

Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble and Lt. J.R. Dobson reported on the department's policing in Oxford. The Department gave 71 hours of dedicated overtime. The Commissioners thanked them for their consistent patrolling and the random patterns of hours and locations.

Sheriff Gamble told residents that if they were going to be out of town for extended time, let his office know so they can include monitoring of the property while owners are gone.

Town Manager's Report:

Town Manager Holly Wahl stated that updated water meters have been delivered and will be installed where needed soon. She said the town office is currently auditing accounts particularly for businesses to make sure they are paying accurately for the water/sewer they use.

There have been two short term rental violations in town and citations have been written and fines assessed.

The NOAA grant will bring approximately $120,000 to the town. This will fund two positions, a grant writer and a scientist.

Removal of Electronic Vehicle Chargers:

Commissioners discussed the possible removal of the EV chargers located at the causeway. These EV chargers are old and outdated and take a day to charge a vehicle. Even more important, they are free to anyone who wants to use them, pushing all the cost to the town. This is approximately $7,000 a year. Oxford polled town residents regarding the chargers:

After looking at these results, Commissioner Dave Donovan, who owns an EV, stated," There is no reason for the rest of the taxpayers in town to be subsidizing the cost."

A motion was made to remove the chargers. It was passed unanimously.

Town Donation to the non-profit Oxford Community Center:

After Commissioner Norm Bell recused himself from the discussion due to the fact that his wife is on the Community Center board, Commissioners Greer and Donovan heard from Brian Wells, President of the Oxford Community Center, Molly Sause, incoming President of the Oxford Community Center, and Liza Ledford, Director of the Oxford Community Center as they asked that the town continue to donate to the 501c3.

Here are the stories the Easton Gazette did regarding town money being given to non-profits including the Oxford Community Center.

Why The Oxford Government Should NOT Fund Non-Profits Other Than The Fire Department - The Easton Gazette

Letter To The Oxford Commissioners: The Truth About Local Non-Profit Donations - The Easton Gazette

We opened a "Go Fund Me" account which netted $900.00 for non-profits. To date, that money has not been donated to any non-profit. We have asked for input from donors to identify preferred recipients.

This is a copy of the letter the Oxford Community Center sent the Commissioners:

From Propublica, a site that reports on non-profits. This is a report on the Oxford Community Center for 2024. Filing for 2025 is not due until later this spring:

Here is the link to their 990 filing:

Oxford Community Center Inc - Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica

Commissioners Greer and Donovan acknowledged the fact that the Community Center is an important entity in town. However, the town is currently $6 million dollars in debt and there are important life impacting issues in Oxford which must be addressed such as stormwater and tidal flooding. These have to be a priority over support of non-profits.

Director Ledford stated that the OCC didn't want to dip into their "rainy-day fund." Here is a definition of a rainy-day fund;

A rainy-day fund is money specifically saved to cover minor, unplanned costs (from NERD Wallet)

This is a time when many residents are having to dip into their rainy-day funds to pay basic utilities, taxes, etc. The Town of Oxford is trying to add to its contingency funding i.e. rainy-day funds after previous management left the town deeply in the red. In such a situation, true priorities must be defined, particularly for taxpayer funds.

The Commissioners agreed to work with the OCC in getting out support for grants the center applies for but did not commit to a donation from the town.

NOTE: Some residents noted that the OCC Board presented their need for funds, they didn't elaborate on how they are planning to change their fundraising strategy to make it more productive. It appears their plan is to continue to ask the town for more money. With the fundraising climate being as difficult as they say it is, there was no explanation of what changes they will make or are making to elicit different sources for funds.

Damaging Proposed State Legislation: The Commissioners revealed that several bills currently being proposed in the Maryland General Assembly would damage the ability of the Town of Oxford and its citizens to determine development limits and regulations. This legislation is damaging to local control and would destroy the small-town charm of Oxford.

Here is a statement put out by the Town Office on Wednesday, February 11th:

The prevailing opinion among Maryland legislators is that these laws are to provide "affordable housing" to Marylanders after a recent report :

Nearly Half of Maryland Young Professionals Consider Leaving State Over Housing Costs, Survey Finds - Eye On Annapolis

The question is whether packing small towns like Oxford with cookie cutter, small homes is the answer.

We say "NO!"

Interesting Side Notes: The Maryland Municipal League originally opposed the legislation described above and then flipped their position overnight.

The State of Maryland has been more aggressive in wresting local control of many different areas including education, health etc. The legislation above is one more power grab.

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