Oxford commissioners drop health insurance for former city officials.

Feb. 14--OXFORD -- At their monthly meeting on Tuesday evening, the Oxford city commissioners voted to discontinue health insurance for former city officials.

The policy, in effect since 1989, provided health insurance to retired elected officials age 65 or over with at least 20 years of service. The policy currently affected only two people, Commissioner Al Woodlief and former Mayor Allie Ellington.

On a motion by Commissioner Frank Strickland, the board voted 5-0 to rescind the policy. The motion also contained a provision to notify Ellington that the board denied the continuation of his coverage.

Woodlief was excused from voting on the issue, due to the obvious conflict of interest. Mayor Pro Tem Calvin Harris was absent due to illness.

Asked after the meeting for his reactions to the vote, Woodlief said, "I'm fine with it." He said he went off the insurance coverage when he returned to the board and had no plans to go back on the plan when he leaves office, whenever that is.

During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Don Jenkins of 105 Planters Place and George Foster of 313 Cherry St. urged the board to discontinue the policy.

In his comments, Jenkins also urged the commissioners to settle their differences in committee, "not in the newspaper." Businesses considering locating in Oxford read the papers, he said. That kind of publicity is a threat to economic development.

Former Mayor Ellington, now 72, pleaded guilty in 2010 to a federal child-pornography charge and received a 10-year prison sentence. Federal inmate records indicate he's at the Butner low-security prison and is due for release soon. He was mayor from 1983 to 1997. After leaving office, he moved to Charlotte, where he was charged in 2008.

In other business, the board received the annual financial report by Carleen Evans of Winston, Williams, Creech, Evans and Co. She noted that the city finance department had been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association.

On the recommendation of the staff, the commissioners awarded a contract to H.G. Reynolds Company to install concrete on the sides and bottom of the West Sludge Lagoon at the sewage treatment plant. H.G. Reynolds can receive up to $435,000 for the project, depending on how heavily officials dip into a contingency reserve.

The board scheduled two public hearings for its March 12 meeting to allow public input on:

--A request by Eddie Caudle to rezone eight acres of land on Lewis Street from Residential to Highway Business.

--A proposed amendment to the city zoning ordinance to allow a craft distillery in the B-1 zoning district.

The commissioners also:

--Adopted a resolution calling for the city clerk to investigate the sufficiency of an annexation petition for three acres of land on Industry Drive.

--Adopted demolition ordinances for properties at 311 McClanahan St. and 100 King St.

--Approved a subdivision plat for a property off of Tobacco Road.

--Re-appointed James Crawford to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

--Appointed Jacalyn Thomas to the Historic Preservation Commission.

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