Candidate's Letter To The Editor Ignores The Past Three Years
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It was approximately three years ago when a man walked down my street and into my yard. I didn't know him, but he introduced himself as someone who was running for Commissioner of Oxford. He told me that he would like my vote in the upcoming election. I had one question for him. I asked, "Are you going to get our out-of-control town manager (Cheryl Lewis) under control? She is not an elected official, yet she is making costly decisions that drastically affect citizens of this town. These are decisions elected officials should make. Are you going to fix that?"
The man said he knew that the town manager was an issue and YES he would make sure that her overreach would stop.
That was three years ago and the man was Tom Costigan. He did not do as he promised.
In fact, Costigan became one of what we call the "rubber stamp" commissioners, meaning they either approved or turned a blind eye to every disastrous move Lewis made. They sat there when she successfully conspired to "retire" our long time Police Chief Pat Maxwell and bring in a Chief in name only, one who put up signs begging people to follow the law and turned Oxford law enforcement into a laughingstock.
They sat idly by while she hired her then unqualified daughter for a town job that paid approximately $80,000 a year. They awarded Lewis pay raises and bonuses that made her the highest paid small town manager in Maryland at the time.
Costigan was complicit when Commissioner Brian Wells resigned his position and the Commissioners brought in the landslide loser of a recent election, Susan Delean Botkin, to be his replacement less than two weeks after her loss. She was sworn in prior to the actual winner, Katrina Greer.
In time, Costigan became President of the Commissioners and allowed Lewis to continue her ways. He signed off when she brought in Underwood and Associates to destroy the town's historic beach to the tune of 1 million dollars. He signed off that the project was complete when it wasn't done properly due to poor oversight by the town. Oxford is still dealing with that mess today.
He voted for the town to ignore fixing areas that were subject to substantial flooding while making sure other less problematic areas closer to him and his friends were fixed.
He signed off as Lewis hired her puppets for town office positions and was complicit when she negotiated a sweet retirement package for herself on the way out the door. He even allowed her to interview, do the background check on and recommend a man to be her replacement. The man had a perverted past of exposing himself to young children. Luckily, two citizens did their homework, and the man was never put into the position. Remember, he and appointed Commissioner Delean-Botkin voted against engaging a national search firm in order to find a qualified candidate for town manager. A national search firm would have done the background check that would have prevented that.
They finally did what was right, hired a firm, and were able to hire the professional, qualified candidate the town currently has. But Tom was dragged kicking and screaming into that scenario.
Do I need to remind you that Costigan promised he'd get things under control in the town office? Yep, stood right in my driveway and said so. It eventually happened, but despite him, not because of him.
So, when I saw Costigan's letter to the editor of the Star Democrat this week, I actually laughed at his lack of self-awareness. Costigan said he supported the Easton Town Council's push for campaign donation disclosures in local elections. That by itself was not so bad. I support that as well. He should have stopped there. Here's the link to his letter:
As usual, Mr. Costigan can't stop himself from hypocritically grandstanding and posturing. He talked about the fact that for his initial election he had invested in ONE FLIER and that was it. He won by two votes against Gordon Fronk. He probably won because he told people he would restrain the Town Manager. Everyone knew Fronk had been a huge supporter of Lewis. It's why I voted against Fronk and for Costigan.
A two-vote margin. Remember that.
It was an election made on empty promises.
Then he went on in his Star Democrat letter to describe what he "observed during our recent election (between Norm Bell and Josh Coder), and that troubled me (him) greatly."
He continued to describe the 2024 election, " The proliferation of campaign signs that were displayed along the Oxford Road on the approach into town reminded me of the signage along I-95 advertising South of the Border. And I recall someone who described the sequential rhyming signs as being reminiscent of Burma Shave highway ads along Route 66."
It's called freedom of speech Tom, something most of us believe in. All the signs were placed with the permission of the property owners.
Costigan then described and criticized customized election glossy fliers, brochures, website design, and even a pre-election event at a local restaurant. "Doesn't this all beg the question; How many tens of thousands of dollars were spent and where did that money come from?" Of course, he was referring to efforts from one candidate, the one he didn't endorse.
Methinks Mr. Costigan protests too much, and while he is doing that, ignores that he participated in the extensive sign placement and rallies for HIS favored candidate during that last election. I remember distinctly that he and his friends put up a huge banner and multiple signs for their candidate just outside of town. They did this with great "pomp and circumstance" and actually had the property owner remove previously placed signs for the other candidate, signs the property owner had just approved a few days earlier. One wonders how they convinced the property owner to change his mind.
Did we mention that he had a campaign sign in his own yard? Again, it's free speech but seemingly hypocritical in light of his letter.
Costigan then questioned whether the seat of commissioner should go to the higher bidder. That's rich.
It's rich because Costigan is part of the powerful establishment in Oxford, people who have had a strangle hold on this town via commission seats, committee assignments and administrative favor for decades. They have appointed their friends to committees and commissions and rarely hold those people accountable for their actions. In fact, they make sure their supporters can stay on those boards as long as they want. In turn, some people get to have their permits approved quickly while the poor average citizen has to beg for approval in front of the Historic District and other Commissions. An average citizen's fate depends on how much bowing and scraping they do to the defacto king or queen of some committee. Not enough obvious deference and they get turned down.
These are commissions/committees who have great unelected power over elections, construction permit approvals, architectural designs, ethic complaints etc. Add the assistance from a biased former town manager that made sure certain citizens were well taken care of and you get the picture. The potential monetary influence of those decisions well exceeds "tens of thousands of dollars" and are completely hidden from view.
But hey, the other side of the recent election spent money on campaign materials. Oh, the horror. By the way, we seriously doubt that it was "tens of thousands of dollars." Blatant exaggeration doesn't prove your point Mr. Costigan.
Don't forget that the Commissioners have feted themselves and those committee members to expensive "thank you" events every year at the same local restaurant while the town and its taxpayers pay the bill.
Costigan then takes the opportunity in his letter to announce his candidacy for re-election this year. He promises that he will be "maintaining a list of expenditures and contributions (including in-kind donations) which I'll be glad to share in the interest of full disclosure. If any other candidates decide to run for this seat, I challenge them to do the same."
As previously said, we have no objection to candidates reporting election donations, especially now that we no longer have a town administrative office who will hold those donations against the people who make them. It has been the position of many of us for the last three years that transparency is vital in a well-managed town. So, if Costigan will be honest in his disclosures, we applaud his effort.
But while we agree with what he has promised, it seems suspicious. In fact, it almost seems like a pre-emptive strike against anyone who may be thinking of running for Oxford Commissioner against him. What is Costigan afraid of? Is he afraid that a well-run campaign by a strong candidate will scuttle his plans for re-election? Is he hoping that a muted campaign from another candidate will give him an edge because of his recognition as a sitting commissioner? Maybe, although I would say his dismal record and failure to restrain the abuses of an out-of-control town office work may against him.
Has he suddenly had an epiphany, an awakening as he drove down Oxford Road? It must have occurred after a town workshop earlier this winter where Costigan plaintively questioned if candidates and public employees would have to "disclose everything." He didn't seem too keen on the idea at the time.
Is he just hoping to win because of this campaign promise like he won because of the one he made three years ago? One thing about campaign promises, they are easy to make and easier to break. They are not easily forgotten by the citizens of a small town who heard those promises.
Costigan breaking that promise three years ago cost the citizens of Oxford so, so much. We don't need any more broken promises from candidates. We just need people who care about our town, the people, and the truth.
Candidate Costigan thinks he is that person. Based on past performance, he has a lot to prove in that regard despite what he says. Like they say, "words are cheap."
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