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Chester County Press

Uncle Irvin: Oxford Sewer Authority flawed from day one

08/09/2016 11:20AM ● By Richard Gaw
Years ago, when the Oxford Area Sewer Authority was created, Uncle Irvin called the governing document “highly flawed.” The Authority was labeled a joke and a creation of township supervisors and borough council who were “dumber than doornails.”
For example, the Authority was run by an executive director who was a good man, but sold cars and had no experience with land development. Subsequently, the job went to a “bean counter” who worked for the Lancaster Sewer Authority, again with no engineering experience.
The Sewer Authority document gives veto power to each of the township's and borough's representatives like the UN Security Council. Special mention for incompetence should go to Lower Oxford and East Nottingham Supervisors, who are responsible for progressive zoning ordinances that would encourage commercial and residential development and have produced nothing.
If it were not for the huge expansion of Ware Presbyterian Village, the Sewer Authority would have gone broke years ago. As it is, the Oxford Area Sewer Authority is virtually bankrupt, and all property owners are on the hook for the entire $27 million debt, plus unpaid interest.
The 30 percent increase is only the beginning.
The Oxford area and the borough are a mess due to generations of mismanagement that includes current Supervisors and borough council that have assessed taxpayers the highest property taxes in Chester County to pay for their mistakes.

(Uncle Irvin's column is his opinion only, and is not a news story.)