I am a 67 year old runner and conservative. I taught for 31 years and retired a few years back. In my life, I have coached and judged gymnastics, coached softball, and raised two amazing kids.
This article may also be found at eastongazette.com
When I was a teacher, we had a rule that students could not use cell phones in our classrooms. The rule was created to keep students focused on class activities and not on their phones. It never failed that a student would pull out a phone during class and when asked to put it away would say, “But my other teachers let us do it.” At that point, the teacher would say, “I’m not your other teachers. I expect you to do the right thing, pay attention and learn.”
The Commissioners and Town Office of Oxford might want to pay attention to that idea and take action regarding deficiencies pointed out in seven years of town audits.
The Oxford Town Meeting held on January 23, 2024 centered around the presentation of UHY LLP Certified Public Accountants by Roy Geiser. Geiser is listed as a Partner and Managing Director UHY Advisors. He was sharing the 2023 Oxford Town Audit.
After introductions and explanations of the duties of his company, Geiser reviewed the fifty-page audit document. The link to the document is here:
Geiser pointed out many details including some about the category called ” Other Post Employment Benefits” which is money set aside to fund health benefits for long time employees who retire. He commented that the town “doesn’t fund it” so there were no assets in this category. It is listed as a liability. Appointed Commissioner Susan Delean Botkin asked for his suggestion regarding the category.
“Choose a fund and fund it,” was Geiser’s response. He pointed out that many other small towns are starting to do just that.
Of particular note was at the end of the presentation when Geiser reiterated a deficiency in town practices that had been pointed out in audits since 2016. The audits have stated that the town does not segregate duties among different employees when it comes to finances. This can cause a lack of “internal controls.”
Geiser repeated the same excuse for this practice that the Oxford Commissioners have given every year, “there’s not enough staff.” He also said that this was “not out of the ordinary for small towns.”
If you are a citizen of Oxford, does it matter to you if other towns ignore this problem?
When a citizen asked about what other small towns do to fix this problem, Geiser said that some just accept it, others hire third party consultants, hire part time staff, allow council members to be involved in the financial processes, or create a town audit committee.
He did not recommend the last two. I don’t recommend the first one.
Another taxpayer asked if the town could hire a Planner/Treasurer to fill the vacancy of recently resigned Maria Brophy, who was strictly a town planner. Commissioner Katrina Greer said they were investigating the possibility.
When Geiser was asked if he questions the month-to-month accuracy of financial matters in the town, Geiser said they don’t look at month to month.
After his presentation was over, the town thanked him for his time and moved on to other matters.
The town is left with the question that has been asked since 2016. Here is an excerpt from the 2023 Audit:
Finding Number 2023-001 Criteria:Proper segregation of duties should be in place to strengthen internal controlsto provide reasonable assurance that a material misstatement to the financial statements is prevented. Condition:We noted that the system currently in place with regard to the review of bank reconciliations and utility billing and collection creates conflicts within duties assigned to a single individual and produces a high level of internal control risk. During our audit, we noted a lack of segregation of duties. Cause: The lack of appropriately designed internal control systems has produced conflicts regarding assigned duties. Effect:Segregation of duties issues does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, the misappropriation of assets and/or errors on a timely basis. Recommendation:We recommend that, when possible, responsibilities for authorization, recording, and maintaining custody of assets be assigned to different employees. In situations where this is not possible, we recommend the implementation of certain transaction review controls. It is important to note that review controls do not eliminate all risk when segregation of duties conflicts exist, and management and those charged with governance need to be aware of such risks. Identification of Repeat Finding:Due to the nature and size of the Town, this is a repeat finding.
Of particular interest THIS YEAR is the NEW response from Town Management included in the audit narrative. From the audit report:
Views of Responsible Officials: Management continues to develop formal procedures in response to the finding above, which for 2024 will include a billing system upgrade that will allow two party review for improved oversight, requirements for dual signatures authorization on relevant transactions, and quarterly external review of bookkeeping software and bank reconciliations.
Sounds good, right? Well, except for a few things. For one thing, the language of this response gives town management too much wiggle room when it comes to implementing safeguards.
First, it is a billing system. Billing systems are only as good as the people who put in the data. So, it is not the sole answer. Second, notice the word “allow.” The word “allow” is defined as “giving someone permission to do something.” Shouldn’t that be changed to “require?” By changing “allow” to “require” the town would MANDATE that there would be two party review, not merely give permission.
The town administration follows it up with a phrase that states that there would be “requirements” for dual signatures for authorization on RELEVANT transactions. A couple of questions. What are “relevant” transactions? Specific amounts? Specific vendors or recipients? Shouldn’t ALL transactions require dual signatures? I was involved in a non-profit for years and we required two signatures for every amount. It wasn’t because people were dishonest, but because it is the RIGHT thing to do.
And, this “quarterly external review” of bookkeeping software and bank reconciliations. Who will do the external review? As we have discovered, the town often allows certain ex-Commissioners to conduct official business for the town. Will this be the same? As a reminder, external does not guarantee impartial or without conflict of interest. There needs to be more specifics.
It seems like town leadership is turning itself inside out NOT to have another employee share financial responsibilities with the Town Manager. We are not talking about a huge staff. We had three employees in our office during all these audits. That would be sufficient to provide oversight by at least two employees and a way to prevent internal conflict and mistakes.
The ridiculous excuse that other towns only have one person in charge of the town’s finances doesn’t cut it anymore. This is Oxford. The citizens and taxpayers of this town expect MORE out of our town and don’t care what other towns do.
We expect our town to do the right thing and perform to a higher standard.
WARNING: Before you read this article, be aware that you might see yourself in some of the descriptions. You may not like it. You may get angry.
That’s the point.
As I write my blog every week, some people on social media and in public try to shame and silence me. Some say that if I don’t like how things are being done where I have lived for approximately fifty years and where my husband was raised, I can leave. They chide me for criticizing town officials. “Why can’t you just stop being negative?” they ask.
Enough.
I don’t know if these people have noticed, but things in 2024 are not like they were in the 80’s or even the 90’s. We now have people running our town, county, state and country who lie, hide, and deflect attention from their suspect dealings. They blur the lines of ethics every day. They say they represent and serve the people, but their actions show otherwise. It doesn’t matter how small the town is or how nice it used to be; things are not like that now.
The only people truly being served are the people who have carried officials’ water for years. Look at the long-time appointments to committees, election boards, and advisory groups in any level of government. The same names, year after year. They give a nod to the idea that “anyone can apply” but that comment deceives people. People outside the “inner circle” of influencers rarely get appointed to the groups that “run things.”
Those in power use those appointments to placate and silence people. A person once asking questions suddenly condemns others asking questions. Quick research finds this person suddenly sitting in a coveted position of bureaucratic power.
Here is the bottom line. Many (not all) of the people running your towns, counties, states and countries don’t respect you. In fact, they think you are stupid, gullible, and needing direction in how to run your life. That’s why they hate it when you ask questions or challenge them. Watch their faces when you do. The smiling facade will suddenly change to a sneer. They will shift in their seats and launch into long, winding explanations to overwhelm you. They will say arrogant things like, “Let me explain weather to you” when you question actions they have taken. They treat you like children.
If you know what I am talking about, you know what I am talking about. And yes, to the person who said that to a crowded meeting, we see what you think of us.
On a national scale in Congress, Democrat Dan Goldman tells a grieving mother testifying at the Mayorkas impeachment hearing, a mother who lost her daughter to fentanyl brought in through a wide-open southern border, that she doesn’t understand what the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas means:
“Obviously, given what your experience has been, you don’t have the background to understand what a high crime and misdemeanor is and how it relates to this,” he said to the grieving mom.
The mother, Josephine Dunn, lashed out at Goldman’s insults and told the Daily Caller News Foundation that he is clearly “unaware about what my understanding, about what my education, what my experience is in any of those areas when it comes to misdemeanors or high crimes.”
The charade is over. It’s over at the national, state and local level. The powers that be think they can run over us by belittling us. They need a reminder that the people in the meetings they run have much more knowledge, experience and expertise than those who make such arrogant, dismissive statements.
So no, you don’t have to explain impeachment to us. Or weather for that matter.
The status quo won’t work anymore. Being nice and quiet won’t work anymore. Telling people to leave if they don’t like how things are being done won’t work anymore. Being a good little citizen won’t work any more.
To the status quo bunch, I know you want to cozy up to these leaders, but they only want to use you not serve you. They don’t really care about that business you are trying to protect by staying silent. They want you to march in line with them, follow their orders and never question one thing they do. Sooner or later you will want to speak up, but it will be too late.
Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence – Leonardo da Vinci
It happened during the ridiculous Covid lockdowns, mask mandates and push to vaccinate children against an illness most had little chance of suffering.
It’s called “Blaming it Upstream” and it was used to give cover to local councils and school boards for the ridiculous and tyrannical rules they placed on the public, particularly schools and their students. “Blaming it Upstream” is the equivalent to a government employee saying ” I was just following orders” when they complete an absolutely moronic and destructive act.
These elected councils and boards were elected to represent the people, but when push comes to shove, they have revealed themselves to care more about their state and national bosses and money.
Wednesday night, the Talbot County School Board reviewed their FY 25 budget which will increase their funding request to almost $80 million dollars. Approximately three quarters of this request will be funded by local dollars, costing the county around $8 million more than last year. This increase in funding can only be accomplished by raising property taxes this year even though they were already increased last year.
Knowing how unpopular these increases would be, the Board started planning strategy to take the bullseye of blame off of them and tell people that it’s the state’s fault. In fact, Superintendent Pepukayi will be enlisting “ambassadors” to go out into the community with one-page summaries that will dispel the “rumors and incorrect info” about the Blueprint. She didn’t elaborate what those rumors and incorrect info are, but one can imagine ambassadors will give a glowing justification for the spending required by the legislation.
Based on statements from the Board of Education members, it seems that this one pager may tell the public that the Board of Education isn’t asking for all this money, the State is mandating it, thus absolving the Board of any responsibility.
School Board President Jackson asked the school system’s financial officer if there was a way to show which budget requests are strictly mandated by the Blueprint and which are strictly local. Unfortunately, the Blueprint is so enmeshed in the budget it is almost impossible to do except for some new staff positions which are completely tied to the legislation. Clever design by the State.
She then followed up her request with the acknowledgement that the budget is “a big ask” but also stated that “we must implement Blueprint with fidelity so it will work.” Board Vice President Candace Henry followed that up with the comment that “we can tell the story to the public so they can see the positive impact.” It’s only positive if you are not a citizen facing huge property tax increases during a time when inflation is sky high and people are living paycheck to paycheck.
It’s understandable that they don’t want to be held accountable for this mess.
But they are playing both sides to the middle. One on hand, the Board doesn’t want to be blamed for this. On the other, they want to support the Blueprint for all the “good” it will do. Which is it? And, as a side note, exactly what is the “good” of these grossly invasive initiatives? The Blueprint is a continuation of the expensive Kirwan Legislation which, in the years since it has been implemented, has not increased student academic achievement one iota. The only difference is that the Blueprint spending makes previous Kirwan spending seem like chump change.
As recently as last year, this same school board was bemoaning the fact that many successful local programs would have to be cut for unproven and possibly ineffective Blueprint mandates. They were demanding more local control. Jackson told me that she chastised the state for creating a “one size fits all program.”
What happened?
As it usually does with public entities, money is the biggest of the deciding factors. Maryland has successfully hammered home the message that locals will either do what the state says or suffer the monetary consequences of reduced funding from the state.
This is a clear case of extortion and nullification of local officials. The State holds the purse strings over the heads of the Boards. The Boards fold under the pressure and nullify any local power they may have maintained. After all, they don’t think they can possibly run their school system without massive State and Federal funding.
A good example of how the government has lured the systems into the trap of becoming addicted to extensive state and federal funding is the recent initiation of all kinds of county programs and positions through the Covid funds granted during the pandemic. Now, the Covid money is gone and many of the positions and programs it supported are going with it, either to be totally eliminated or replaced by something new and different under the Blueprint.
One can see how local boards and Superintendents are standing patiently by waiting for their state handout, even if it means they lose control over the systems they direct. In a way, they are right. They are not completely at fault.
The question is, when all the funding and programs are state mandated and even local policies will no longer need to be voted on, is there a point to an elected (or any) school board at all?
Maybe all we really need is someone to keep the books and make sure money goes where it is mandated. Maybe we could appoint a local “Blueprint Czar” who could monitor expenditures and initiatives and send in quarterly reports. It would save everyone a lot of time and money.
I understand the dilemma the Board of Education is in. Do they take the money and give up control or do they fight against the Blueprint and get a huge monetary slap down from the State?
Many systems like Howard County will bite the bullet on funding but will have to cut the jobs of 348 school system personnel. This is one way to fund this monstrosity.
Others with political clout will push back and HAVE pushed back. Unfortunately for small counties, their political capital is too small to earn much grace with the State. But, as the second article linked below proposed, maybe it’s time for them to say “no.”
Do they have the courage and creativity to do this and find ways to work around the “punishment” they will earn? Time will tell.
Want to take a stand? This year, run for your local school board. In Talbot County, Districts 2,5, and 6 are up for election. If you want to file, February 9th is the deadline. School board races are NON PARTISAN.
This article was originally published at eastongazette.com
There’s an old Billy Joel song that has as one of its lines: “It’s always been a matter of trust.” That line frames 2023 in Oxford, Maryland, with one change. The word “trust” should be “mistrust.”
Governments at all levels depend on the citizens that support them. As we saw in the French Revolution, once the citizens decide enough is enough, heads roll. Some governments get that support through tyranny and oppression. Their citizens are so afraid of them that they go along with the indoctrination and lies the government perpetuates. Other governments depend on a symbiotic relationship with their populations. Governments provide the basics, defense, public works, etc. Citizens provide the manpower, money and the votes that get them elected and allow them to govern.
In that type of government citizens MUST trust their government. They have to trust them to tell the truth, act ethically, and respect their opinions and wishes, especially in countries that are representative republics like the United States.
It’s not just the governments of countries that need to be trusted, but the governments of states, counties, cities, and towns.
Many jurisdictions have forgotten that lately. Like con men, they lie over and over to their constituents and hide things but expect their constituents to either be blissfully ignorant or forgive and forget each lie and misdeed.
The Town of Oxford is no different. The Town has betrayed the trust of its citizens over and over. Each time the “powers that be” seem surprised when the residents push back.
Going back over the past four- or five-years’ worth of Oxford town minutes and events, it’s clear the town has not been very honest with citizens. Whether through outright lies or lies of omission, they haven’t earned the trust of the people in town.
2023 was no different. But, this year, people had their eyes opened. In these articles, I’ve written about the sudden retirement of the longtime police chief, instantaneous hiring of a new chief with no advertisements or interviews, the disclosure of a family member hired by the Town Manager, and the lack of transparency regarding auditor’s disclosures on yearly audits.
One Facebook poster who is a resident of the town complained that those of us pointing out this information are just being “hostile” to our Town Manager. ” Perfect?” he asked. “No, but then I don’t believe perfection is a standard any of us can meet.”
The guy missed the point. No one expects perfection. But, when in public office, you cannot keep insulting and betraying the trust of the people you serve and expect them to stay quiet. Sooner or later, they catch on and start asking questions and demanding answers and changes.
The biggest violation of the people’s trust in 2023 came with an election and an appointment.
In March, a petition was presented from 215 citizens to change the town charter so there would be special elections to fill commissioners’ seats if they were vacated before the end of a commissioner’s term. In the past, vacancies would be filled with appointments by the remaining commissioners. The people didn’t want that to continue. The Commissioners and the town attorney took their time deciding whether to put the amendment to a referendum vote, even with a regular election on the horizon in June of 2023.
This is where things get interesting.
An election was held for an open position on the Commissioners that was created when Jim Jaramillo decided not to run again. The two candidates were Susan Delean Botkin and Katrina Greer. Greer campaigned on transparency and accountability. Botkin, who was already on the County’s Board of Education and would be ending her term and commitment to the Board a year and a half early in order to be a commissioner, and who was friendly to the town office, campaigned on her experience. On June 20, 2023, Greer was elected by a solid majority despite the dirty tactics and lies by some of the “Oxford Elite.”.
Then, a week later, in what seemed a startling and unbelievable coincidence, Commissioner Brian Wells (a supporter of Botkin) suddenly stepped down. This left an opening on the Commissioners. Since the referendum for the change to the Town Charter regarding vacancies had NOT been voted on yet, the Commissioners could appoint his replacement. On June 27, 2023, this happened:
President Jaramillo stated that Oxford Charter Section C5-15 instructs the remaining Commissioners, in the case of a vacancy, to appoint someone to fill that vacancy until the next regular scheduled election. Jaramillo stated the in the recent election there were two candidates with over 400 votes cast, there was a winner, and also a second place with 42% of the vote. Jaramillo felt that it was only appropriate to nominate the runner up representing 42% of the vote, Susan Delean-Botkin. Commissioner Costigan seconded the nomination, both voted in favor, and the motion carried. President Jaramillo requested Ms. Botkin come forward if she was willing to accept the nomination, after which he issued the Oath of Office to the newly appointed Commissioner. There were several members of the audience who expressed disappointment and left the meeting.
This was a pivotal moment in the destruction of ANY remaining trust the citizens of Oxford had in their government. The loser of the election, Botkin, was appointed to the Commission and was sworn in BEFORE THE WINNER OF THE ELECTION WAS. No other person in town was asked if they had interest in appointment to the position. Citizens were not asked for their opinions about this appointment. The Commissioners just did it. It was a huge slap in the face to the residents of the town who participated in the election just two weeks before.
Everyone knew why they did it. Everyone had heard before the election that Wells would be leaving soon. This was a way to nullify the election and get Botkin on the Commissioners. No wonder people walked out of the meeting. It was just one more middle finger directed toward the citizens of the town.
At the July 11,2023 meeting when she was sworn in, newly ELECTED Commissioner Greer made this statement as she abstained from the election of a President of the Commissioners:
Talbot County Clerk of the Court Kathi Duvall issued the Oath of Office to Commissioner Elect Katrina Greer. Commissioner Delean-Botkin nominated Tom Costigan to serve as the President of the Commissioners. Commissioner Greer seconded the motion, stated she would be abstaining and read the following statement: “The opportunity for citizens to vote is fundamental to our democracy. The Commissioners should have respected the wishes of the voters and waited until the Charter Amendment election next week There is nothing in the Charter that would have required them to act on June 27, 2023. Following the wishes of the voters builds trust in government and that is why I am abstaining.” Commissioner Costigan called for a vote, Commissioners Delean-Botkin and Costigan voted in favor of Costigan for President. Commissioner Greer abstained.
Costigan was elected President of the Commissioners.
Since then, many other questions have been asked about the financial audits of the town and why recommendations of those auditors were NOT followed, as well as the destruction of the iconic Strand Shoreline under the guise of preventing flooding. Questions are also circulating about the billing process for water and sewer bills. People want transparency but the town doesn’t seem ready to provide it.
Here’s what our town administration may not realize. Once trust in broken, you cannot regain it. And they have not only broken trust; they have ripped it to shreds with their manipulations and schemes. And yet, every time they are questioned or someone asks for information, they act like victims.
They are not. They need to stop the charade that they are. The only people buying that are those like the Facebook poster who either can’t or don’t want to see the truth.
SIDE NOTE: The next town meeting is Tuesday, January 23 at 6 p.m. in the Oxford Town Office. The firm who has been auditing the town’s books since 2016 will be present. It’s clear the town wants the firm to address the audit problems stated in this article:
Question is, how will they try to spin this? Citizens should come prepared with questions and comments. The Auditing Firm is UHYLLP-Certified Public Accountants.
Second installment of the “Year in Review” in Oxford, Maryland
There’s an old saying that if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
The Commissioners and Town Office of Oxford didn’t heed that advice as they continued into the first quarter of 2023. They thought that things were quieting down by March. Anything but.
As citizens began researching the sudden and surprise retirement of the town’s Chief of Police, they began to discover many disturbing things about their town and how it was being run. People discovered that the Town Manager and a small group of elected officials were turning the quaint little town into their own little kingdom where they ran all the committees, the elections, the commissions, etc. They were making Oxford something it had never been before. The majority of people in town saw it, didn’t like it and started speaking up against it.
Those in the small influential circle of “power” didn’t give up easily. Their original strategy of “just ignore it and it will go away” failed miserably, so they moved to Plan B and C, and D. Currently, they are far down the list of plans to make the citizens shut up and go away.
If you read the minutes of this meeting, you will find many examples of deflection and distraction by the Town Commissioners and the Town Office. There is a description of a ridiculous project about what Oxford would be like in 2100, a glossy presentation of the new Chief, and suspicious grandiose praise of a former Commissioner. It all seemed to be planned to keep people’s minds off the problems in Oxford being discovered daily.
Despite that, the golden moment in this meeting had nothing to do with that nonsense. The highlight was when resident Dorothy Fenwick stood up and strongly suggested an amendment to the Town Charter that would demand that sudden vacancies by a commissioner prior to the end of their term would be filled by a special election. Up to this time, replacements were always done by appointment.
I don’t know if Dorothy is clairvoyant, but she must have had an inkling that this situation was coming. It made sense. Commissioner Jim Jaramillo decided not to run again and people in town knew that Commissioner Brian Wells was selling his house, moving away and resigning his spot on the Commission.
The election for Jaramillo’s position would be completed in a few months. If Wells resigned after that and before the passing of an amendment changing the process for replacing him, the puppet masters in town could still appoint their own shill for the spot. Who knew that was exactly what the Commissioners would do?
The letters attached to this set of minutes describe wide mistrust of the town from its citizens. This is when questions about audits of the town books, the hiring process for the new Chief, salaries of some town employees, etc. were clearly articulated with requests for information, many of which are still unanswered.
Things in Oxford were just starting to heat up. An election and an unethical appointment of a commissioner would add to the tension in the town by the late Spring.
At the first town meeting in April, a petition with 215 signatures was given to the town’s attorney for review. This petition was for an amendment to the town charter which would require special elections to replace Commissioners who leave office early.
At the next meeting on April 25, 2023, town lawyer Ryan disclosed that the petition was being reviewed for accuracy by the county as they matched signatures to voter rolls. During Commissioner comments is when things got interesting. Commissioner Tom Costigan, in a flash of blatant self-importance, made this statement about having citizens actually vote for replacements on the Commission: (Quote taken directly from the meeting minutes, the highlighting is done for editorial purposes)
Costigan noted that on the town website the following is posted in response to recent questions regarding the submitted Charter Amendment Referendum: In response to recent questions regarding the suggested Charter Amendment to change the procedure in the event of a Commissioner Vacancy, Oxford’s current Commissioner election process not only meets the standard for Maryland municipalities, it provides the most frequent citizen opportunity to elect their officials, with an election held every 12 months for any and all ‘open’ seats. The appointing process to temporarily fill a seat until the very next election provides continuity in government, assures the citizenry of continued operations, and assures all residents that elections are held annually on the same day in June. Unanticipated elections, mid-term with short notice to the public, often catch citizens off guard and do not allow for a fair and transparent process. The current Oxford Charter reads: Section C5–15. Vacancies. In case of a vacancy on the Commission for any reason, the Commission shall elect some qualified person to fill such vacancy until the next regular election. Any vacancies on the Commission shall be filled by the favorable votes of a majority of the remaining members of the Commission. The results of any such vote shall be recorded in the minutes of the Commission. Costigan encouraged everyone to read the information on the website and to understand what is being proposed, that what we have now is an orderly system that has been tested and works. He feels this change to the Charter has been sold to many residents as being more democratic and that it will lead to a better and more professionally run government, stating that if he believed that, he would support it and would offer a resolution of support to that effect. But he does not believe that and offered, at the public’s convenience, to discuss all the reasons he feels the citizens would not be well served by this charter change, saying that not only does he feel it is a bad idea, in his opinion it is being fostered by a few individuals with their own undisclosed agenda. He recently began outlining the dozen or more problems that could arise with this proposed change, and he would be happy to share his concerns with the citizens as we move forward in this process. After careful consideration he feels that citizens will see that this is a solution in search of a problem.
It’s clear from his comments that Costigan was scared to death of special elections that might actually allow citizens to choose replacements. When describing the idea, he uses the word “sold” to make the citizens of the town sound like moronic rubes. He felt that this idea was being fostered by a “few individuals” (215 signers of the petition) who had an “undisclosed agenda.”(One wonders would that be the citizens of the town picking their commissioners, not just two people?) Funny, because we find out later that the Commissioners, when they chose a replacement for Wells, absolutely had an “undisclosed agenda” that prompted them to appoint someone who lost a town election, who gave up her commitment to the County School Board a year and a half before her term was done, and who was being appointed by the elite in town to protect the town administration at all costs. It’s also funny that he feared the process not being fair and transparent. Gee, Mr. Costigan, you mean like the mysterious retirement of a long-time police chief, the hiring of a new chief without a posting and interview process (and at a salary $12,000 more than the “retiring Chief of 34 years,”) the hiring of the Town Manager’s daughter for a highly paid position, the exorbitant and unfair salaries of certain town employees, and the requests by auditors for town financial matters to have two employees overlooking the books? You mean like that kind of unfair and non-transparent?
As for a solution searching for a problem, it’s ironic that he would say that as we’ll discuss that idea when we look at all these “grants” solicited, written by, and managed by the Town Manager for the town, whether they were needed (or wanted) or not. This will be in a later installment.
Yes, the Commissioners and Town Administration of Oxford just kept digging the hole in the first four months of 2023, and no amount of silly future projections or slick narratives could hide what they were doing. People were waking up.
The next few months would activate citizens more.
SPECIAL NOTE: Tonight (January 9, 2024) is the first meeting of the New Year. Citizens should remember Commissioner Costigan’s comments about the 215 people who signed the petition for the Charter Amendment and how he demeaned them and questioned their agenda as well as all the acts of the Commissioners in 2023. This will be important in light of the current monstrosity on the Oxford Strand.
In an Oxford Town “press release” written as a news story by a Star Democrat reporter, the town announced that they were looking for a new planning and zoning coordinator.
The position and the person who was hired for it has been controversial in Oxford since early in 2023. Maria Brophy, daughter of Oxford Town Manager Cheryl Lewis, was given the job in 2021 despite not having all the qualifications needed. Her relationship to Lewis as well as the fact that her starting salary was $85,000, more than that of the starting salary of a QUALIFIED police officer ($76,000) and was more than that of a 30 plus years administrative assistant who made $68,000 made the hiring suspicious. Here is Lewis at a March 13, 2023 town meeting sharing the salaries:
“Lewis commented that there had been a lot of discussion regarding town employee salaries and that, although it is not generally published information, she felt in the interest of transparency she would provide it: Town Mgr $164k, Waste/Water Supervisor $100k, Police Chief $100k, Planning Officer $85k, Water Supervisor $80k, Police Officer $76k, Admin Assistant $68k, and Maintenance Crew $50-$60k.”
Brophy earned her qualification as a “Flood Plain Manager” in 2022.
Citizens questioned this hiring to such an extent that the town created an ad hoc committee to create a hiring practices document. This document was approved by the Commissioners later on October 24. Part of the new hiring practices included a section that prohibited the hiring of relatives.
What is interesting about the story in the Star Democrat is that Trovato didn’t ask a single question about this controversy. In fact, she allowed Town Commission President Tom Costigan to spin the issue of nepotism saying it had no bearing on Brophy leaving. He then went on to compliment her as a “wonderful employee.”
She also didn’t ask if the recent problem with flooding in the town, despite the supposed improvements made to prevent it, caused Brophy to seek other employment. When asked where Brophy would be employed going forward, the town stated the generic “not commenting on personnel matters.”
Again, the Star Democrat and the Oxford Town Administration and Commissioners failed to address the issues citizens brought to the forefront with recent hirings; issues of non-posting of jobs, limited or no interviews for positions, nepotism, and arbitrary and reckless salaries given to some people over others, regardless of experience or requirements of the job.
It’s a never-ending series of deflection and non-transparency from the town.
The town has posted the job on their website. It’s interesting that this job now has a salary range of $50,000 to $70,000 “depending on experience.” That’s a new twist.
We wish Ms. Brophy the best as she continues her career going forward. She appears to be one more person caught up in the web of careless, unethical governance in the Town of Oxford.
Side Note: Someone please tell the Star Democrat that if they are going to write press releases for town governments, they should label them as such.
Also, anyone applying for this job should not only send an email to the email address given in the newspaper article, but to the town commissioners as well to make sure all applications are actually taken.
With 2023 ending, it’s not only a great time to look backward, but also to look forward to what might happen in Maryland education in the upcoming year.
2023 was a real rollercoaster in education. There were some major issues in Maryland education.
First, even though counties and other local governments knew the economically crushing Blueprint for Maryland’s Future was going into a second expensive year of implementation, 2023 was the year when local authorities finally woke up to the fact that their jurisdictions wouldn’t be able to afford this monstrosity without huge tax increases. They voiced their concerns:
Apparently, the State paid attention to their statements and came out with an allowance for local districts to turn in their Blueprint plans in May instead of March. They also gave voice to loosening some of the draconian consequences for those locals who don’t fully comply with every mandate of the Blueprint.
Of course, as we have learned in the past, this is something that Progressives do. They propose the worst and then when people complain, dial back to something that is still obnoxious and burdensome, just not to the extreme of the previous mandate. Then everyone celebrates how kind and understanding the state is.
Of course, one huge issue was the Superintendent, Mohammad Choudhury. His tyrannical, bombastic and demeaning method of dealing with people at the State Department as well as those in Annapolis left a sour taste in people’s mouths. Pressure from the State Board pushed Choudhury out the door in the fall, ushering in interim State Superintendent Carey Wright. Will she be any better? She’s from Montgomery and Prince George’s County as well as being Mississippi State Superintendent where her “miracle” in State scores is being questioned. The jury is out.
There were other issues, juvenile justice and how it impacted student behavior in classrooms, and the constant struggle to get rights for parents while ideological bureaucracy and union tyrants insisted on teaching children explicit sex or getting them to question their gender. Luckily, one bill, HB 119/SB 199, which would have allowed the State to force specific sex education units on locals, died in the legislature.
And who can forget the dismal test scores. There were schools in Baltimore City that had zero students proficient in math. Zero. And then the Maryland State Department of Education actually removed scores from their website upon the direction of the Superintendent who ran into his office to avoid a reporter with questions. Hopefully the interim Superintendent won’t do the same.
But now, to look forward to 2024. What are our predictions for this year?
Teacher shortages will continue as school districts are at a loss to recruit, hire and retain good, qualified teachers. Look for the State to continue to loosen requirements for teacher certification waiving competency tests, a degree in education, and even certification itself. Teaching candidates could end up being no more skilled in teaching than fast food workers.
Private childcare providers will go out of business as the state creates more three-year-old programs in the public schools. Restrictions and requirements will drive providers out of business while schools will not have capacity to serve the need. Parents will struggle to find childcare, especially for toddlers.
As the State Board of Education works to identify the standard for the Blueprint Pillar “College and Career Ready” they will promote the trend of college acceptance based on school GPA or scholastic portfolio rather than tests like the SAT’s or ACT’s. While this might sound great to those who don’t test well, it will make secondary schools inflate grades even more than they are already inflated. Also, a portfolio process will be extremely subjective, allowing collegiate admission officers to play favorites based on non-academic or identity issues. Look for this policy to be adopted by some colleges in 2024.
There will be a court case regarding the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future as county governments realize that they cannot fund the legislation without crippling tax hikes on citizens. The local governments will fight against state control over their local budgets.
The State will continue to force their way into managing private and homeschool education. The unions cannot abide the fact that either exist, particularly homeschooling. Look for new bills forcing both to meet more and more government mandates.
School choice will die on the vine as the Governor will take more funding away from any options that allow parents to take children out of failing schools and place them in private schools. He will blame his actions on the state deficit that he and his administration caused.
Progressives will attempt to “pack” local school boards with student elected student school board members with voting privileges. This will be fought in court, but could be a steppingstone to allowing specific special interest groups, illegal immigrants, LGBTQ etc., to have their own personal school board members elected by members of their groups only. Howard County, Maryland, battles challenge to student school board member – Washington Times
Test scores will start to improve. However, it will not be real improvement. It appears that Interim Superintendent Wright’s “Mississippi Miracle” was not really very miraculous. Hiltzik: Mississippi’s suspect reading test scores – Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) Wright disputes the allegations of this article, but we should keep on eye on this in Maryland to see if the same thing happens again. Correcting the record on Mississippi’s historic education gains (magnoliatribune.com) Residents of Maryland have to remember that it was just last summer that the Maryland State Department of Education tried to hide scores of low performing groups by ridiculously claiming they were protecting student confidentiality. Remember, he who designs and scores tests and sets the standards can create whatever scores and standards they want. It will be grade inflation on the state level. Advice to parents? Disregard your child’s grades and state test scores, read and do math with your child on a regular basis to see what they really know and can do.
With the advent of Community Schools and the placement of many more mental health professionals in public schools, look for the identification of many more children with mental health “disorders.” Some of these will be correct, but many will be done to justify the added positions and money. Also, in Maryland, children 12 and under can consent to mental health treatment without parental consent. In the 80’s the ADD “pandemic” started and with it the over medication of our kids. Will this be the same?
Parents will start to fight harder than ever before for parental rights. Recent decisions denying parents the right to opt out of certain subject matter in Montgomery County were made by judges because the parents suing had not been “hurt” by the practice. In other words, their children were not impacted by the gender ideology and sexualized content being taught. They could not prove harm. The next time this suit is presented, I believe the parents will have standing.
I believe that every election year since 1992 I have heard that the upcoming election for that year would be pivotal. This was mostly at the National level.
This year is no different. Every election has meaning and weight. If parents want to remain in control of their children’s lives, have a say in what their children are taught, and want to make sure that their children graduate school with academic competency, promise and potential instead of division and hopelessness, they need to get involved by either running of working for candidates.
Let’s hope they take this seriously, take time from their busy lives, and step up.
Jan Greenhawk is a former teacher and school administrator for over thirty years. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Maryland. She also spent over twenty-five years coaching/judging gymnastics and coaching women’s softball.
How the State and Teachers’ Unions are using the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future to Recruit and Employ Less Qualified Teachers and Implement AI Instruction
Counties and jurisdictions across the State of Maryland have been telling the Maryland State Department of Education, the State Superintendent, the Governor and anyone else who will listen that local communities cannot afford the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future (Kirwin Legislation) which mandates millions of dollars added to local budgets and huge increases to tax rates.
One area that could be disaster for the state is the pillar regarding the recruitment and retention of a diverse, quality teaching force. This article from Maryland Matters explains the problem:
In the article, each of the counties explains their problems attracting and keeping teachers. The issues range from location, to pay, to being blocked from recruiting fairs in other states, lack of qualified candidates at recruiting fairs and even competition between neighboring counties. One county, Charles County, didn’t actually address the issues and just patted themselves on the back for having a diverse teaching community. Talk about deflection!
Strangely, none of the counties mention the fact that teachers in their schools are faced with violent student behavior, lack of administrative support, no student accountability and unclear, non-academic curricular standards.
In an article about Black teachers leaving the profession at a higher rate than white teachers, some of the causes listed were the cost of education and the costly and complicated certification process, the problem of test anxiety, and, of course, racism. They do briefly mention student behavior, but don’t spend much time on it. One of the sources in the article discusses how she got a concussion while breaking up a fight in her classroom, but that fact is glossed over.
Instead, this article assumes that Black teachers just can’t handle the work involved in becoming and staying a teacher. What an insult. I know this is not true. Some of the finest educators I taught with were Black. I honestly don’t think that Black teachers are any different from White teachers, there’s a problem in the education system and no one wants to face it head on.
It also promotes the harmful myth that Black teachers are more effective with Black students. This is an idea that is supported in the article by a “working draft” of a paper by the National Bureau of Education Research. A working draft means the paper has not been peer reviewed or checked for basic accuracy. If this myth was true, then all other races and ethnicities should only be taught by teachers of the same group. After over 30 years in education, I can tell you that effective teachers, regardless of race, are more effective with any student, period.
The problem is that teachers have been neutered much like police. They no longer have the right or ability to manage their classrooms so that students who want to learn can learn. Every teacher knows he/she can lose their job by merely enacting discipline in their class. Classrooms have become chaotic with kids who know they will not be held responsible for their actions by anyone.
Teacher candidates have been cheated on academics as well. Instead of coming out of teacher education programs being confident in their content knowledge, many of them are intellectually stunted. This is why the education establishment in many states wants to get rid of basic skills tests for teacher candidates.
Instead, citing the teacher shortage, the State is investigating a “streamlined” certification process. This can mean everything from offering business professionals alternative opportunities to certify, allowing conditional certification, removing graduation requirements, or providing online video courses to train teachers.
Most of the above are unacceptable. The only one that I have seen work is the idea of letting professionals from different occupations have the opportunity to certify. But that is not and should not be an easy process. Teaching does have a craft to it.
In a time when student test scores are lower than ever, the other ideas potentially subject your child to a teacher who doesn’t know content or how to teach.
Wonderful.
What an insult to the teaching profession. No other profession is willing to accept partly or poorly trained professionals in their field. There’s a shortage of airline pilots. Can you imagine the FAA “streamlining” the pilot qualification process? Hey, if you were in another profession and want to be a pilot, just take a few flying lessons and you can work for Southwest. How about doctors? Would you accept a doctor who didn’t really get through medical school? How about one who used to be a construction worker but went to school for a couple of years and became a physician? Bad teachers may not threaten someone’s life, but they can certainly damage a child’s future.
Who wants this and why?
First, I believe the State has changed what the teaching profession is all about. It used to be about giving students the academic skills they need to be successful, productive, self-sufficient adults. Now it’s become a political agenda to create a willing group of leftist followers who will take the word of the government as their new dogma.
The Maryland State Department of Education has taken their eye off the main mission and instead started focusing on areas they have no business being involved in. Social work, gender ideology, and a hyper focus on racial differences have made schools practitioners of all trades and masters of none, especially not the one they should care about. Instead, they are dividing and harming our children.
I think they are doing this because they don’t want to address the real problems in education. They don’t want to deal with the problem of disruptive, often violent students. They don’t want to admit that students need to be held to high academic standards regardless of economic, ethnic, or cultural background. All of this is too hard and doesn’t generate the funds that the bureaucracy wants and demands. It’s much easier to teach harmful confusion and the victimhood paradigm.
The Teachers’ Unions willingly go along with this mission. The more teachers they can get “certified” the more money they make, the bigger membership they have, the more political power they wield. If those teachers are not independent thinkers who can see beyond the Union party dogma, they have a small army of acolytes who will do their political bidding.
The education bureaucracy along with unions are creating the most unprofessional generation of new teachers in the history of this nation. They are punishing our school students with bad role models and incompetent educators. It’s not all of the teachers and it is not necessarily their fault. Many of them were educated in the same flawed system. Those who are extremely proficient were trained during a time when teachers were taught professionalism and academic content as well as teaching strategies.
I do believe that there is also another reason for this approach to teacher shortages.
One of the most expensive line items in any organizational budget is personnel. If the education system could get rid of at least half of the staff and replace it with Artificial Intelligence “teachers” in rooms with low level monitors, millions of dollars could be saved. No health insurance, no sick days, no holidays, no job perks and of course, no salary. The only salaries would be for classroom “facilitators” or “monitors” who would merely babysit students while they worked. As long as the Union gets membership fees from these babysitters, they will be fine with AI.
Already there are many companies in the market advertising their AI products for classrooms. The below link leads to one of them called “Hello History” which allows students to have chats with AI Generated Historical Figures. No longer would kids have to research a historical figure’s thoughts and beliefs about a topic, the app will do it. One wonders, how does the AI determine what the human historical figure would say?
There are many articles about the pro’s and cons of AI education. But, as we have seen before, the education system doesn’t always care about the cons as long as ideas meet their agenda.
As we head into 2024, it’s clear that there is a problem in the education system and within the teaching profession. If we don’t fix it soon, we will create a generation of functionally illiterate disconnected students.
Jan Greenhawk is a former teacher and school administrator for over thirty years. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Maryland. She also spent over twenty-five years coaching/judging gymnastics and coaching women’s softball.
This multi-part article is written for everyone living in a small town in our country. It is a “year in review” with supporting documents and information about everything from Police Chiefs to the butchering of a shoreline. Even if you live in Oxford and think you know, you’ll find out what you didn’t know.
Town Commissioners and Administration from Left to Right: Matt Ozman, Maintenance Supervisor, Lindsey Ryan, Town Attorney, Susan Delean Botkin, appointed Town Commissioner, Tom Costigan, Commission President, Katrina Greer, Commissioner, Cheryl Lewis, Town Manager, Eric Kellner, Chief of Police.
For the sake of full disclosure, the writer of this article has been called a “gadfly,” “polarizing”, and a member of “that bunch” of people in Oxford, Maryland who won’t stop asking questions and asking for accountability. If that’s what it takes to get the truth out, so be it. Read at your own risk.
If you live in a small town in the United States, you should pay attention to what is going on in Oxford, Maryland.
Oxford is a beautiful little town of approximately 700 residents on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It was once touted as the “Colonial Capital of Maryland.” In the beginning, the town was built around shipping and the seafood industry. Its population was working class watermen, people working in seafood processing and shipping etc. The population remained mainly working class until the mid-60’s when the town’s quiet, non-commercial beauty (and a new Bay Bridge) brought people to Oxford from the other side of the Bay. They spent their money on expensive homes and property along the waterfront and the town’s beautiful Strand. Many commuted to their former cities to work.
The town has always been known for a small town feel and was governed by a group of Commissioners, many of whom were natives or long-term citizens of the town. The Town Clerk was also from the town and the police chief was local. The citizens trusted their town government. After all, those in office were one of them.
Sometime in the early 2000’s, things started to change. Lawyers and developers from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. started settling in Oxford in droves. Some loved the town and its people for what it was, who they were. Others wanted to gain control, change it, and make it like the place they left. And they started to do just that. They looked at St. Michaels and other tourist trap towns and wanted Oxford to be the same.
A new town clerk was hired to replace a beloved town clerk who retired. New Commissioners were elected, some local, some transplants. There were some small controversies and these issues began to become more commonplace.
Still, many of the citizens of the town didn’t notice. They thought things would be like they always had been.
Then the pandemic hit in 2020 and town bureaucrats saw their chance. The Governor of Maryland made wholesale closures of small businesses and implemented ridiculous rules regarding distancing, masks, etc. If the bureaucrats could scare the elderly residents of the town and tell that the only way to protect them from Covid was to give control to one person who would shut the town down and create arbitrary closures of shorelines, dog parks, and other outdoor venues that didn’t need restriction, then that person could solidify power and influence. The padlocks on the outdoor dog park fence were a symbol of the power that one town employee suddenly seized while elected officials nodded their heads in impotent agreement.
Citizens started noticing. But, they were still too busy living their lives to get involved.
Then, in 2023, a series of events took place that put the citizens of Oxford on notice, “Get involved or lose your town.” A seismic event occurred that revealed the cracks in the town’s seemingly calm governance and violated the trust of the citizens. It’s a tale we will tell through town minutes, comments on town meetings, and articles written about the events.
1/10/23– The year started out strangely. I have heard of officials participating in meetings virtually, but I have never heard of a sitting Commissioner, much less the President of Commissioners, attending virtually and saying he would not be voting during the meeting. This was a meeting where Town Clerk Cheryl Lewis submitted the preferred contractor for what is being called the “Shoreline Improvement Project.” This contractor, Underwood and Associates had already gotten the bid for the first part of the project which was designed back in 2018. Apparently, two contractors bid on this phase of the project. The second bidder was not named in the minutes. This project would come back and haunt the town in just eight short months. The bid was approved. From the minutes, “Jaramillo (President of the Commissioners) expressed his support for this project and the Underwood bid, as supported by their experience, but noted that he would not be voting.” Was this an abstention? Why didn’t he vote? Was there a conflict of interest? Shouldn’t this be explained?
The Commissioners went into closed session right after this meeting, which seems prophetic as we look back on what would happen in just a few short weeks. Did Commissioner Jaramillo also decline to vote in this closed session?
This note is attached to the bottom of these town minutes. It’s important because we won’t see that notice on all other closed meeting sessions.
“In accordance with Section 10-508(d) of the State Government Article of the Maryland Annotated Code, a written statement of the closed session is attached to the official minutes of the Commissioners of Oxford and maintained in the minute book in the Town Office.”
January 24, 2023 – The most notable thing about this meeting is that the Commissioners went into a closed meeting afterwards:
“With no further business, Commission President Jaramillo motion to close the meeting and go into closed session to discuss a personnel matter, Commissioner Costigan seconded the motion, all were in favor and the meeting adjourned into closed session at 6:16 pm.”
Strangely, the note regarding closed meetings was not attached to this set of minutes. And, apparently, Commissioner Jaramillo WAS voting in this meeting.
On February 6, 2023, an event occurred that turned the town upside and woke citizens up. Long time Police Chief Patrick Maxwell suddenly retired, even though he had told people he would not be retiring for at least six more years. His comment about the situation? “No comment.”
Everyone knew something was wrong. He had been a policeman/Chief in our town for decades, lived in town, and was respected and trusted by almost everybody. And, according to officials, there were no blemishes on his record.
Citizens started asking questions; town officials refused to answer them. They were likely advised by their lawyer to take that approach. Unfortunately for them, it made everything so much worse. Here is an article about how things happened. The article contains events from several meetings after that date:
Strangely, while Town Meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, there was no meeting the second Tuesday of February 2023. No reason was given, but it seemed the controversy over the sudden “retirement” of the longtime Oxford police chief scared the Commissioners and forced them to cancel the meeting.
February 28, 2023 – This meeting had to be held at the local community center since so many people were planning to attend. Over 300 people did attend, filling up the chairs, lining the walls and entry way of the Community Center “auditorium.” Some even lined up outside to get a chance to speak about the sudden retirement of Chief Maxwell and other topics. There were rich, middle class, fixed income, black, white, Democrat, Republican, locals and “come here’s”etc. The energy in the Community Center that evening was electric, buzzing with questions, anger, and outright disgust of hundreds of people who knew something was rotten in Oxford. Meanwhile, the Commissioners, again on the advice of their town lawyer, sat in front stone faced except for the occasional smirk on Commissioner Jaramillo’s face. Here are the published minutes:
*Special Note: Someone should hire a proofreader for town minutes. I have never seen so many glaring grammar and spelling errors in official documents in my life.
Of note was misinformation about Chief Maxwell’s retirement. The Commissioners knew they already had chosen a replacement even though they said they hadn’t. The hiring was something that was disclosed one day after the “retirement” of the Chief. The town hired a new Chief with no job posting, no interviews, nothing.
The letters and emails posted at the end of the above minutes were supposed to be read aloud by the Town Lawyer, but she chickened out at the meeting saying it was “too loud” for her to be heard. Strange how a lawyer, who supposedly has participated in court cases in her career, was unable to quiet a crowd or at least talk over them with a microphone.
People left the meeting more frustrated than ever, especially after hearing that the new Police Chief had already been hired without a public posting or interviews, much the same way as the Town Manager’s daughter was hired without posting or interviews years ago.
The citizens were beginning to see not only the flaws in the narrative of events put forth by the Commissioners, Town Manager, and lawyer, but also the glaring lack of transparency.
March 13, 2023-Several Commissioners stated that they thought the furor over the sudden retirement of Oxford’s Chief of Police would die down after 72 hours. This meeting was proof that it had not. Although the Commissioners and the Town Manager had time to rally their forever supporters and devotees, approximately 200 people filled the meeting room in the Oxford Fire Department and most of them still had questions and were still angry over the lack of transparency and ethics in the town’s government.
The first part of this meeting was spent introducing the new Oxford “Chief” of Police, Eric Kellner, with a list of his saintly characteristics, but there were some very interesting disclosures regarding the salaries of staff and the plan flood prevention strategy in the town. There was a “love letter” from one Commissioner to the Town Manager, an inquiry regarding the questionable one-person financial management of the town, and a hissy fit by a long-time local judge.
Three of these issues; flood prevention, staff hiring and salaries, and the one-person financial management of the town, would become pivotal in alerting citizens that something was deeply wrong in Oxford, and it began at the Town Office.
Some of the most important points of this meeting were in the responses to the written questions asked by citizens.
Annual Audits: Citizens questioned the fact that ONE person in the town office controlled the town’s finances. Here was the official response: ” The Town of Oxford is audited annually by a qualified accounting firm, after which a Financial Report is prepared, and in years when federal grant or loan funding is used, a secondary Single Audit Financial Report is prepared to assure compliant use of federal funds. Annually these Financial Report are provided to the Maryland Legislative Services as required by law, along with forwarding to all lenders/grant funders, including the Maryland Dept. of Environment, the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention, Shore United Bank, and, when requested, USDA Rural Development. The Town has been audited annually since 1940 and is currently compliant with a completed and submitted FY 2022 audit. “
This is a lie of omission as noted in this article:
Hiring Practices: The response to this question really seemed to raise the hackles of the Town Manager and her crew. How dare anyone question her hiring her daughter for an $86,000 a year job? Here is the town’s response with our comments in italics:
” When seeking personnel to fill open positions for the Town of Oxford, the opportunity to apply for all positions is published on Indeed.com, the highest traffic job website in the US. All supervisory/department positions are interviewed and hired by the Commissioners of Oxford, entry level positions are interviewed by two supervisors and hired upon recommendation to and approval by the Commissioners of Oxford. All employee compensation is approved by the Commissioners of Oxford.”
It’s cute that they posted on Indeed.com especially when they know that no one on that site had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting the “town planner” job that was given to the Town Manager’s daughter. They don’t say that applicants were interviewed, but tried to make us believe that that this is always what happens. Not true. Having the Commissioners who have professed their long-time love and adoration of the Town Manager approve that hiring meant nothing. It was one more example of how the Town of Oxford was operating on a “quid pro quo” basis for many years.
With specific reference to the Police Department, a post seeking officers was published on Indeed in February of 2022, and was posted on the town website and Facebook Page at the same time, along with newspaper advertising first in the Star Democrat, then in all eastern shore newspapers owned by the Chesapeake Publishing. The opportunity to apply for a Police position is still posted on the town website, as the town has been actively seeking applicants for the last year.
When people parse words in order to lie, they think that others will miss what they actually said. Notice that the post for “officers” on the Facebook page, in the Star Democrat and other Eastern Shore newspapers was NOT a post seeking a Police Chief, a position that is very different in pay and qualifications from just a police officer. We have firsthand knowledge that the Police Chief was NOT hired via a posting. Another lie by the town.
With regards to questions about personnel issues, interviews, discussions, reprimands, and personal information provided by applicants and employees, this information is privileged and confidential and will not be shared to protect the individual employees who apply, serve, or who have served this town.
This last statement in the minutes is included because it is just a big middle finger to the citizens. It’s a statement by the Town Office and the Commissioners at the time that they will do whatever they want, pay whatever they want, hire whoever they want, and fire whoever they want and the citizens can go pound sand. The sudden retirement of the Police Chief was not the first time this personnel strategy was employed. Ask the previous Head of Town Maintenance.
At the very end of those minutes there is a list of “accomplishments” by Town Manager Lewis. First, I think this will be a great resume for her when she applies for another job. Also remember that just because you are awarded grant funds, that does not mean those funds are needed, productive, or what the town wants. If you want a good example, visit the Oxford Strand these days and see what a mess that is and how negatively it is being received by the citizens of Oxford. Most important, remember this when you are talking about federal, state and NGO grants regarding local administration of the grant:
“Local governments spend about 7% of their grants on administration. Federal and state grant agencies spend just over 10%. And non-profit respondents to our survey report spending about 9%.”
“grantors spend more than recipients—an average of 10.3% of the grant is spent by grantors, versus 9.3% spent by recipients..”
That’s a lot of money when you talk about million-dollar grants. Where do you think it goes?
There were Public Information Requests for the line-item budgets of some of the grants listed. The town replied that they didn’t have the staff or time to copy the information requested. When an offer was made to come in and copy the documents thus relieving staff of that duty, it was denied.
One wonders why.
Our next installment will cover the attempt of town officials to nullify an election and the fight to make sure that never happens again as well as other key issues. Stay tuned!
As a reference for what can happen when the people fight back, visit this link for Red, White and Blueprint, created by a group of citizens in California who fought to get their county back.
Jan Greenhawk is a former teacher and school administrator for over thirty years. She has two grown children and lives with her husband in Maryland. She also spent over twenty-five years coaching/judging gymnastics and coaching women’s softball.
