Oxford City Council passed an anti-discrimination ordinance, welcomed a new Oxford police officer and discussed tax fund distribution during its meeting on Nov. 4.
Oxford Police Department’s new officer
The Oxford Police Department’s newest officer Lincoln Wolf was sworn in during the meeting. A United States Army veteran, Wolf graduated from the Butler Tech Police Academy and will begin field training next week.
“I’m excited for this opportunity,” Wolf said. “I’m ready to stop reading policy and start walking around and stretch my legs a little bit.”
Housing discrimination ordinance
Council passed an ordinance prohibiting landlords from discriminating against potential tenants based on forms of payment. This ordinance requires landlords to accept housing vouchers as a form of payment and prevents landlords from examining how rent will be paid in their consideration of renting to a person.
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This ordinance is intended to increase the opportunities for housing for low-income residents. Vice-Mayor Chantel Raghu said this ordinance is a stepping stone to passing more anti-housing discrimination ordinances.
“I see this as just one piece,” Raghu said. “We had a bunch of housing ordinances about six months ago; [the ordinances] died in committee. We have this simple, beautiful [ordinance] and we can just build on that.”
Funds from marijuana excise tax
City Manager Douglas Elliott shared an update about the distribution of funds from the State of Ohio to its municipalities.
Ohio Senate Bill 56 outlines that 36% of the funds gathered by the 10% excise tax on marijuana will be distributed to municipalities containing marijuana dispensaries. However, no appropriations have been made, and the funds have yet to be distributed.
“The state is sitting on that money and gathering interest, and that was not the intent of the citizen-initiated statute,” Elliott said.
Oxford hosts two marijuana dispensaries, Consume Oxford and Pure Iconic, and it is expecting the eventual distribution of funds.
Council will meet again on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Oxford Courthouse.
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