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Oxford council separates uptown housing change from other charter amendments after contested debate
Summary
The Oxford City Council advanced a package of Charter Review Commission recommendations but voted to separate the proposal to remove a long-standing restriction on more-than-three-unit dwellings in parts of the Mile Square so voters can decide it independently; councilors split over neighborhood character, zoning flexibility and future council authority.
Mister Elliott presented eight recommendations from the Charter Review Commission to revise the city charter, including removing a 1976 prohibition on structures with more than three dwelling units in most of the Mile Square and other technical changes designed to align local language with state law.
The commissions report, Elliott said, would be forwarded to the board of elections for placement on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot if council advances the ordinance. He described the package as a mix of removals, revisions and one new section, intended to modernize the charter and correct provisions that no longer reflect state law or current city practice.
Sam Perry, who the commission asked to comment, urged sensitivity to the restrictions history and said separating the prohibition could help address nuances. "I appreciate the sensitivity to what this could do," Sam Perry said, noting the citys planning tools, zoning map rewrite and the need to preserve neighborhood character while weighing housing needs.
Several councilors expressed strong disagreement on recommendation 1, which would remove the charters prohibition on more-than-three-unit buildings outside the eight-block uptown area that was already excluded in 2007. One councilor warned removal could allow a future council to change zoning and open the Mile Square to larger, student-focused apartment developments; another said zoning and a pending code rewrite would remain in councils hands and provide better planning tools.
After debate, Councilor Bill moved to separate recommendation 1 from the rest of the package so voters would see it as a standalone ballot issue. The motion passed; the council recorded at least one named dissent but did not record a formal tally in the meeting minutes for that specific split. Later, the council voted 4-to-3 to remove recommendation 3 (a proposed reduction in the number of required public posting locations for ordinance publication) from the ballot bundle, meaning that item will not be presented to voters as part of the grouped amendment.
Elliott and staff emphasized process and timing: if council approves individual items at second reading, the city would forward the ordinance to the board of elections before the boards deadline for the November ballot. Council members asked staff to prepare clear explanatory materials and to consider splitting other recommendations (for example, the city manager residency provision) into separate ballot questions to allow voters to address each change individually.
What happens next: This was a first reading. Council indicated it will revisit the charter items at the second reading in two weeks, with separate motions and potential amendments before any language is finalized for the ballot.
