$3.1 Million Athletic Complex Goes Before Finance Board Tonight

The boards of finance and selectmen will meet jointly tonight to discuss funding for a new $3.1 million athletic field, track and bleachers at .

The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the

According to an agenda posted on the town’s website, immediately following the joint meeting – at 8 p.m. – the Board of Selectmen will hold its own meeting to “consider, act upon, recommend to the Board of Finance, set a town meeting date and take all action necessary to authorize the Oxford High School Athletic Complex Project and bond financing as forth in a resolution entitled: resolution with respect to the $3.1 million Oxford High School athletic complex appropriation and bond authorization.”

The town has been discussing a new athletic complex at the high school since the school was built five years ago. The town did not allocate enough money when it was built to put in adequate athletic complexes.

A committee was set up almost two years ago to draft a proposal to complete the athletic project, but First Selectman George Temple and Selectman Jeff Haney and say they have found a cheaper way to do it. They have solicited bids for the project, and their proposal is the one that is going before the Board of Finance tonight.

Per town charter, the request must be approved at a town meeting before the town can spend the money. The old field proposal would have been more than 10 percent of the tax levy on the town for next fiscal year, so, therefore, it would have needed to be approved at a referendum. However, the $3.1 million figure is now lowever than 10 percent of the tax levy so it can be approved at a town meeting rather than a referendum, per the charter. 

Residents at a town meeting can make a motion to send it to a referendum or they can force a petition to do so.

Ann Krane, chair of the Democratic Town Committee in Oxford, wants residents to force that referendum and has submitted a letter to the editor at Oxford Patch about this issue. .

Temple said last week that he's confident the plan would be approved at a referendum.