OXFORD – With Tuesday's General Election looming, Oxford voters once again find themselves at a crossroads of Town leadership. And while the outcome remains uncertain, the weight of every vote cast on Election Day is sure to shake things up in one of Chenango County's highest-stakes elections.
By all accounts, the majority of the Oxford community's attention lies on the race for Town Supervisor.
The position is responsible for moderating Town Board meetings and leads Oxford board members through – at times – difficult decision-making, in addition to maintaining and balancing the finances of the Town's checkbook.
For this election, 18-year incumbent Lawrence Wilcox faces opposition from Fred Lanfear – a 50-year resident of Oxford who served in the U.S. Military prior to dedicating a career to the Oxford Academy School District as a high school Social Studies educator and later as a Parent-Family Worker for the Pre-K program.
A Life-long Oxford dairyman, Wilcox has held the Town of Oxford Supervisor position since 1997 and has likewise served as Chairman of the Chenango County board of Supervisors since 2012.
Wilcox touts that under his direction the Oxford remains debt-free, and enjoys a positive capital reserve account thorough scrupulous budgeting.
Of notable dispute among the two candidates is the future of gas drilling, material staging and mineral rights within the town of Oxford boundaries.
Wilcox, along with current Town Council members, have heard their fair share of voiced concern from many Oxford residents since the last election, even after N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo – based upon an environmental impact study by the N.Y. Department of Environmental Conservation that spanned more than seven years – officially prohibited ban the controversial drilling practice, known formally as high-volume hydraulic fracturing.
But even as the state has banned 'fracking,' Wilcox and his board still routinely grapple with heated opposition from a growing number of grassroots activist from in and around Oxford who fear that any leniency extended to the gas industry could potentially threaten the agricultural landscape – and industry – of Oxford.
In a campaign letter dated Oct. 21 2015, Wilcox boasted the Town of Oxford as being the only Town in Chenango County that has a comprehensive zoning ordinance in place, and that “regular updates and revisions to the zoning ordinance make it such that natural gas permitting procedures require public hearing with notification to all adjacent property owners.” But earlier in 2015, a public hearing was held in which many residents spoke out against the practice of gas drilling. While the overwhelming majority of community members opposed a revision to the zoning ordinance–considered to be “pro-gas”–the Oxford board still voted 4-1 in favor of the law change, much to the dismay of public opinion.
Along with the Supervisor seat, two seats on the controversial Town Council are also up for grabs Tuesday.
Positions held by Jerry Locke and Alan Davis face opposition from Carl Koenig and John Knapp.
Koenig, a 45-year resident of the Oxford Village and Town, has served as principal to both the Oxford Middle and High Schools and was employed with the district for more than 25 years as a fifth and eighth grade social studies teacher.
Koenig has said that if elected, he would focus on expanding and strengthening the working relationship between the Village and Town of Oxford entities, placing an emphasis on further protecting and preserving the natural resources that the town currently enjoys.
Furthermore, Koenig would facilitate a better line of communication between the general public and the Town Council, including the implementation of a sound system which would enable the public to better hear the proceedings of a town meeting; something community members have been requesting for years.
30-year Oxford Resident and landowner John Knapp is also on Tuesday's ballot for councilman.
Knapp has served as both a volunteer and contributor to many organizations in the community, and has organic first-hand experience with regard land ownership and fracking in the Town of Oxford.
Knapp has indicated that he would press for a more fair and open dialogue as a councilman, leading to well researched and sound decisions. He has aligned himself with the NYS-DEC decision to ban high-volume hydrofracking even after signing a lease for oil and gas in 2007; before the ramifications of unconventional drilling were widely known.
Upon retirement, Knapp got involved and spent much time researching fracking issues, becoming alarmed by the significant dangers associated with shale gas development. Knapp went to the public and town board, sharing his findings and concerns, and would ultimately pursue a release from his lease, which he would receive in 2013. Since then, Knapp has volunteered with the Community Science Institute on monitoring the water quality of local waterways, and has regularly attended town board meetings.
While attending several Town Board meetings in past years, Knapp has said that he felt “his presence as a concerned resident was largely ignored” and that his presentation of findings to the Board were overlooked, motivating his decision to accept a nomination for Councilman.
Polls for General Election Day open at 6 a.m. and will remain open until 9 p.m. The Town of Oxford polling place is at its usual location within the Village of Oxford Fire Department, 20 Main St., Fort Hill Park.