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| and the surrounding communities Geographic Information The City of Oxford is located in Lafayette County in the north central portion of Mississippi, approximately equidistant between St. Louis, Missouri and New Orleans, Louisiana. The area's topography is characterized by rolling hills. The City, which was incorporated in 1837, presently (2008) covers an area of 16.5 square miles and has a population of roughly 19,000. The City is the home of the University of Mississippi, which was established in 1848. The University has produced 24 Rhodes scholars, and is ranked among the top 30 institutions with largest endowments per student.  Government Structure The Mayor and seven Board of Aldermen make policy decisions in accord with procedures and responsibilities set out in State law. The Board of Aldermen of the City of Oxford, Mississippi is composed of seven members. Six aldermen are elected according to their respective wards, and one aldermen elected at-large. Both the Mayor and the Board are elected for four year terms. The mayor has the superintending powers of all the officers, employees and affairs of the city. Additionally, a chief operating officer and chief financial officer assist with day to day operations of the city and its staff. Demographics The population of Oxford has grown from 10,026 in 1990 to 11,756 in 2000, an increase of 17.6%. It is estimated that the current (2007) population is 19,000 after Oxford annexed 4.3 square miles this year to bring the total size to 16.5 square miles. Lafayette County has grown in the same period of time from 31,826 to 38,744. Over one half (55%) of the population lies in the 20-44 years of age group, contributed in large by the University. Development Information In 1989 the assessed value of real property in the City of Oxford was approximately $21 million, and around $9 million for property outside the City in the municipal school district, for a total of some $30 million. By 2002, after a reappraisal of City property, the total assessed value had increased by $100 million, to $130 million. For more information about Oxford's growth, development and planning, please review the white paper report written in 2003: Oxford White Paper, 2003 Report . Also see the EDF's information about Oxford at: http://edf.oxfordms.com/quality.htm .  e-mail: webmaster@oxfordms.net © Copyright 2008, The City of Oxford, Mississippi. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
