Oxford Town Council kicked off their first session of the new year — a Committee-of-the-Whole meeting — with a key hiring announcement: We have a new Public Works Supervisor. The former PWS, Nick Purdy, resigned in November to take on a new position out of town.
Oxford’s new Public Works Supervisor is Larry Reicker.
This presented a challenge for the Public Works Department, which conducted a lengthy hiring effort three years ago, when the position became vacant. A small town with a small budget, finding a qualified replacement proved to be no easy task.
In November, Oxford Town Council decided the amount of work for the PWS was too much for one person to handle, between being a part of the crew that keeps the infrastructure together while also handling a significant administrative load, including updates to the town’s Asset Management System (a database that contains all of the intricate details of the water / sewer system as well as any physical infrastructure, such as buildings, streets, etc.). The town announced its intention to separate the job into a Public Works Director (PWD), responsible for the administrative side of the job, and a Public Works Supervisor (PWS), who would handle the day-to-day maintenance and repair tasks through managing the public works crew. At this week’s COW meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Linda Cloney said they’re reviewing the PWD position but have yet to determine when a hiring effort might get underway.
For any matter that should be brought to the attention of Public Works / the Town staff, use the “How do I report a complaint?” form on the town’s website (you can include pictures too).
In other Council news….
The COW meeting began with a presentation that has become a regular feature of the January council gatherings, with representatives of the Property Valuation Services Corporation (PVSC), a non-profit that manages the province’s CAP programme and provides property assessments for all residential and commercial properties in Nova Scotia. [This presentation can be viewed on the Town of Oxford YouTube channel]
Property Assessments were put in the mail on January 12th, so most people will be receiving their notices this week.
The assessments are the basis upon which municipalities calculate the property tax bills that generate the funds needed to operate municipal government and pay for our roads, water and sewer systems, etc. Under the CAP programme in place since 2005, most residential properties are limited to annual assessment increases tied to the Nova Scotia Consumer Price Index (CPI). Properties that have not changed hands in the past two decades have a taxable assessment that is often significantly lower than the actual market value of their properties.
Oxford’s overall assessment roll — the cumulative value of properties in the Town — is up $16.1-million for 2024–25, having risen $65.3-million in the past four years. Of that figure, $103.6-million lies in residential property, while commercial property accounts for $57.1-million. The actual amount that the municipality can tax, however, is much lower due to the CAP programme: only $75.6-million, less than half the total assessment. While this means less money for the town to work with, that residential CAP eases the annual tax bill for residents, making living expenses affordable.
Oxford Deputy Mayor Chrystal McNutt raised the issue during the presentation of people who purchase properties but who are not aware that a sales transaction (i.e., not a transfer of ownership within a family) results in the CAP being lifted, resetting the base value to the price that was paid on the market for that property. For those who are caught unaware, this significantly raises, for example, monthly mortgage payments. McNutt questioned the PVSC representatives — Paul Beazley and Dion Regular — about how often this happens and why more people aren’t informed.
The PVSC, say Beazley and Regular, have had many of these conversations with property owners who have filed appeals of their assessments. But, they say, they are not the front line where that information needs to be communicated to potential buyers, saying real estate agents and lawyers could be doing more to educate the public. To that end, Beazley noted, the PVSC has written to the Nova Scotia Realtors’ Association asking that group to help inform those who are purchasing properties.
For those who receive their assessment and wish to challenge the numbers, appeals to the PVSC must be completed and received by the agency by midnight, February 12, 2026.
Department reports
The Oxford Volunteer Fire Department (OVFD) finished the year with 124 total calls, that’s down from 142 in 2024.
December saw 12 calls, three of those in the Town limits, three more in the department’s “coverage area” which covers parts of Cumberland County surrounding Oxford, and six other calls were mutual aid to other departments. The OVFD is working on resolving an issue with spotty coverage in some parts of the county for their radio communications, working with staff from the Public Safety field Communications office to conduct tests and seek solutions. The Department’s ongoing training of its members will see a four-day “Pump Operations” course hosted in Oxford in March / April, and another four-day course on “Vehicle Extrication” is planned for September.
In Oxford Recreation news, MPAL Marion Abbott reports that over the holiday period, with five Christmas movies were shown at the Oxford Capitol Theatre, to good attendance. Three movies are scheduled for January (“The Sound of Music,” “Goonies,” and “The Princess Bride”). The Oxford Area Lions Club makes these showings possible, paying for the licensing fees required for public exhibitions. The Capitol Theatre was also the setting for last Friday’s “Karaoke Night.” Coming up, the Youth production of “Bye Bye Birdie (Youth Edition)” is in rehearsals, with 20 young performers in the cast, while rehearsals for the “Taylor Swift Tribute Concert” begin this weekend. Next week, classes begin for Musical Theatre, Winter Craft Club, and Art Class. Abbott is preparing for a March Break Camp, and looking ahead to plans for the summer, including a possible Oxford Farmer’s Market.
Oxford’s Bylaw Enforcement Officer, Paul MacDonald, reported some new challenges arising at the Oxford Depot (“Transfer Station”). He says a trend toward better resident compliance with garbage sorting appears to be slacking off a bit. Public Works crew continue to greet residents and provide information on proper sorting to meet the requirements that should see more material separated into recyclables, paper/fibre, and basic garbage. MacDonald says there still are residents who are upset at the requirement to show an Oxford Depot user’s card (available for free at Town Hall). The cards are intended to prevent non-Oxford residents from using the depot, since they already have county curbside pickup as well as other locations where their material can be taken.
Information on updated sorting guidelines can be found on the Town’s website under “Solid waste“. Recently more items were added to the “recyclable” section, meaning less actual garbage to be dealt with. That webpage also contains a searchable “wizard” to help identify where your garbage should go, and provides a link to an app that can be added to your cellphone for your convenience.
The Oxford Depot was also recently the scene of a break-in and theft of items from the small shed used by the town crew. MacDonald says people entered the facility on foot, took compost bins and placed the stolen items inside, then rolled the wheeled carts down to a waiting vehicle at the entrance. The compost bins were left at the side of the road. Security video and images of the perpetrators have been passed on to the RCMP for investigation. Other complaints that MacDonald has been called in to address: a resident in town using their Off-highway vehicle (four-wheeler, etc.) to “walk their dog” on town streets; and a report of a dog being left chained outside in cold temperatures (RCMP and the SPCA now involved).
In Administrative matters, the Voyent Alert app is now operational for Oxford residents. It’s an app that can be installed (free) on your smart phone to receive alerts from the Town whenever there’s a need to quickly inform the public of time-sensitive issues.
And if you haven’t been in to Town Hall recently, the entrance has been moved from the side of the building to the front, facing Main Street. The accessible entrance has a push-button automatic door and easy access from the street.
UPCOMING:
Tuesday, January 20th @ 6:00pm, Council Chambers: Audit Committee meeting (open to the public)
Wednesday, January 21st @ 6:00pm, Oxford Fire Hall: Ground Source Water Protection public information session with town staff, Dillon Consulting, Dept. of the Environment, etc.
Tuesday, January 27th @ 6:00pm, Council Chambers: Audit Committee meeting (open to the public).
Watch a replay of the Town of Oxford Council meetings on YouTube.
