2018 Annexation Information

Hello,

On behalf of the City of Oxford, welcome to the city limits. We have been studying and planning this annexation for a long time and feel certain that this annexation will be beneficial to you and our entire community. We encourage all of our new citizens to be informed of, and engaged in, all that our great city has to offer. Our citizens are what makes our town so wonderful, and we strive to provide the best customer service possible. We hope to make this transition as easy and as seamless as it can be. If you have any questions or issues, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here for you. Our contact information is included in this letter.

2018 Annexation Map - Interactive

This letter is to provide information you may need regarding the upcoming annexation by the City of Oxford and how it may impact your daily life. Once implemented, the City of Oxford will be expanding the corporate limits by approximately ten (10) square miles as shown on the included map. Annexation provides an opportunity for additional growth for the city but may raise questions for the newly annexed property owners. There are some changes with annexation that will happen immediately, including enhanced fire and police protection for your area. Other changes will happen slowly over a longer period of time. Below you will find information on our departments and the services they provide. Our city website provides valuable information on each department as well as updates on what is going on in our town. We welcome you to visit www.oxfordms.net as well as follow our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

WATER AND SEWER SERVICES (PUBLIC WORKS)
662-232-2306 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you are being annexed and already receive water and/or sewer services from the City of Oxford, your usage rates will decrease to reflect the lower rate paid by residents of the city. For those areas that were previously served by Bell Utilities, there will no longer be a $6.00 surcharge on your bill. Please inspect your bill closely. While we will make every effort to ensure proper billing, we encourage you to verify the charges. If you are not receiving water and/or sewer services from the city, you will not see any change in your bills associated with the annexation. If you are unsure who provides water and/or sewer services, please check your monthly bill. If you receive water from another water association, such as East Oxford or College Hill, there will be no changes to your service provider.

Over the next several years, the city will work to address any infrastructure needs in the annexed areas so that city water and sewer services are available to all annexed areas. There will be no required change to residents utilizing properly functioning on-site sewer treatment systems for the foreseeable future. Contact Public Works at (662) 232-2306 to inquire about connecting to city water or sewer.

SANITATION AND RECYCLING (ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES)
662-232-2359 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The city will take over sanitation pickup beginning November 5, 2018. The City of Oxford and Lafayette County are working together to coordinate and allow a seamless transition for all customers. There will be no overlap or double billing of customers for environmental services. The city collects trash two days a week and rubbish and recycling one day a week. For residents who live north of Jackson Avenue, north of Highway 6 West, and in the Rivers Hill area, garbage will be collected on Monday and Thursday. For residents who live south of Jackson Avenue and south of Highway 6 West, garbage will be collected on Tuesday and Friday. There is a map available on the City of Oxford website (http://www.oxfordms.net/departments/environmental-services) that can be used to confirm the pickup days at your residence. If it does not show your residence yet, please check back as the map is being updated.

The city will be providing garbage cans for use in annexed areas similar to those provided by Lafayette County. Until those arrive, the county has agreed to allow customers to use the Lafayette County carts for city pickup. The city will replace the current cans with City of Oxford carts and return the county cans in the near future. Please remember that the Lafayette County garbage cans are property of Lafayette County and are uniquely associated with each address. Therefore, they must be made available for return.

Customers interested in curb side pickup for recycling can sign up by visiting our website at http://www.oxfordms.net/curbside-recycling-signup.

The first bill for City of Oxford Environmental Services will be mailed in December. Oxford Electric Department handles all utility billing for the city, including water, sewer, environmental services, and power. The bill can be paid by mail or in person at the Oxford Electric Department located at 300 McElroy Drive. The rate for Environmental Services is $21 per month. This includes twice weekly pickup, rubbish pickup, recycling, and street sweeping for curbed public streets.

EMERGENCY SERVICES (OXFORD FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS)
Emergency: 911
Fire: 662-232-2411 (non- emergency) / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Police: 662-232-2400 (non-emergency) / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Emergency service personnel will immediately begin providing service to the annexed areas. For emergencies, dial 911 as you normally would, and the dispatcher will send the appropriate department. Both the Police and Fire Departments have been coordinating with the Sheriff’s Office and Volunteer Fire Departments to prepare for these changes. Homes in the annexed areas will automatically be classified as a Class 4 Fire Rating as they will be located within the city limits. We encourage all homeowners to contact their insurance companies to verify the fire rating on their policy and see if any discounts are available due to the new classification.

If you are part of an HOA or residential complex that would be interested in more information regarding police services, you may contact Captain Alan Ivy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to set up a meeting.

TAXES AND ELECTIONS (CITY CLERK)
662-236-1310 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The city will begin collecting city property taxes for annexed areas in November 2019. All county taxes for 2018 will be paid in the same manner and location as they were prior to annexation. Additional information regarding taxes will be provided next year.

Residents of annexed areas will be able to vote in municipal elections at the Oxford Conference Center. Voting wards have not been established yet, but additional information will be provided in the coming months. There is not a scheduled municipal election within the next year.

Residents of annexed areas will continue to vote at their county polling place for all county, state, or federal elections. There is no change in your voting district or location associated with annexation for the elections included in the upcoming November 2018 elections.

ZONING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT (PLANNING)
662-232-2305 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Zoning according to the City of Oxford Land Development Code has not been established for the annexed properties. Once annexation is complete, the Planning Department will review the areas and begin public hearings to establish zoning for each parcel. Until that process is complete, all property will retain its Lafayette County zoning designation.

In the zoning process, all property owners will have more than one opportunity to provide comments and input on the zoning for their property and surrounding properties at these public meetings. If you are interested in receiving email notifications regarding these meetings, please sign up to receive agendas for the Planning Commission and Board of Alderman meetings at http://www.oxfordms.net/email-notifications.

NEW CONSTRUCTION/PERMITS (BUILDING)
662-232-2342 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Like all other properties within the city, newly annexed area will now require new construction and/or land disturbance permits prior to any construction or breaking ground. Please visit our website at http://www.oxfordms.net/departments/building-department for permit forms.

CODE ENFORCEMENT
662-232-2400 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The city currently has two full-time code enforcement officers who work to ensure that all ordinances are followed. These officers are dedicated to the livability of neighborhoods and can assist with a variety of issues. Our officers will be coming around to newly annexed neighborhoods over the next few months to meet with homeowners and provide a guide to the most common complaints. Property owners in the annexed areas may be granted a grace period to adjust to the Neighborhood Code Enforcement ordinance before any enforcement action will be taken. This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will need to be brought to the attention of our two code officers. If you are interested in reviewing the Neighborhood Code Enforcement ordinance before our officers make a visit, please visit www.oxfordms.net.

SCHOOLS (OXFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT OR LAFAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT)

Annexation does not change the school district that your child will attend. School district boundaries are not associated with the city limits in any way.

ELECTRICITY (OXFORD ELECTRIC AND N.E.M.P.A.)

Annexation does not change your service provider for electricity. Like school district boundaries, your electric service provider is not associated with the city limits.

OTHER UTILITIES (PHONE, CABLE, INTERNET, ETC.)

There are no changes to your home phone, cable, or internet providers.

GET INVOLVED

We encourage you to visit our website and learn more about the various volunteer commissions and groups in the City of Oxford. We welcome your involvement in helping keep Oxford the special place that we all love. Please use the contact information included above to reach out to any department from which you might need assistance.