Oxford City Council discussed police bodycams, new ambulances and the creation of a mayor’s court during its March 17 meeting.
Software licensing for police body cameras renewed
City council approved a resolution to renew the Oxford Police Department’s contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. The contract will supply the police department with new body cameras and renew software licenses regarding the storing of data and drone use.
Councilor Jason Bracken asked about the length of video stored before the body camera is activated. Geoff Robinson, who presented the resolution, said the pre-record time would remain at its current length.
“It’s the same system we’ve had for the past five years,” Robinson said. “We have found that the [pre-record] time has worked great for us.”
The contract will last for five years, and the total costs will not exceed $289,800.
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Fire department to purchase new ambulance
John Dethrage, fire chief of the City of Oxford Fire Department (OFD), presented a resolution to purchase a new ambulance. The department’s oldest ambulance is from 2010 and will still be in use.
“The 2010 [ambulance] is still in decent shape; it’s holding up well,” Dethrage said. “We’ll [be able to] have a backup. So, if one’s out, we’ll still have three. We’ll be able to cover multiple events at the same time and still have two on the road.”
The ambulance will be specially constructed for the OFD this November.
City budget appropriations leads to debate
Finance Director Heidi Ridenour presented an ordinance to make adjustments in Oxford’s 2026 budget. The ordinance expands the budget to replenish salt and supplies that were depleted during the winter storms, repair damages to Talawanda Middle School, establish a mayor’s court and more.
Councilor Snavely said until a comparative analysis of the expenses of other cities’ mayor’s courts have been conducted and a concrete cost of the courts is determined, appropriations should not be made.
“I’m not uncomfortable with the idea of a mayor’s court. I’m uncomfortable with a pig in a poke,” Snavely said. “We have $139,000 and we don’t know how a single dime of that is allocated.”
City Manager Douglas Elliot said the final cost of the mayor’s courts could not be made until after appropriations to the budget have been made and a court clerk has been hired.
Snavely also said he wanted to know if court cases involving the Miami University Police Department would be held at the mayor’s court before approving any adjustments.
The ordinance was amended to remove the appropriations for the mayor’s courts before it passed.
City council will meet again at 7:30 p.m. April 7 at the Oxford Courthouse
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