By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

Oxford Borough Council held its reorganization meeting on January 5 and the first order of business was to swear in Mayor Phil Harris and the four people who were elected to seats on borough council in the recent General Election. District Judge Scott Massey swore in the mayor and each of the newly elected council members.

Harris was reelected for a second term as mayor.

Council members Robert Ketcham and Amanda Birdwell were also reelected for terms on Borough Council. The two new members elected to borough council are Melody Boston-Griffin and Michael Brandt.

Mary Behringer, a resident of Oxford Borough, congratulated all the people being sworn in and wished them luck.

Harris then presided over the meeting so that the members could select the leadership team for the coming year. Kathryn Cloyd was elected to serve as council president and William Fitzpatrick was selected for the role of council vice president. Birdwell got the nod as President Pro Tem.

In other business at the meeting, borough council approved the following employee contracts:

• Two-year contract for Pauline Garcia-Allen as borough manager;
• Two-year contract for Arlene Harrison as treasurer and assistant borough manager;
• Two-year contract for Terri Dugan as borough codes official and zoning officer.

Oxford Borough Council also approved a resolution pertaining to appointments of certain borough employees and another pertaining to borough officers and other annual designations, as well as a motion to authorize the advertising of 2026 meetings. 

Borough council approved the appointment of Kenneth Sapp to the Oxford Area Sewer Authority Board for a five-year term and the reappointment of Sapp to the Zoning Hearing Board, also for a five-year term.

Council also approved the reappointment of Bethany Atkinson as Vacancy Board Chair (one-year term) and the reappointment of Jan Andress to the Historical Architectural Review Board (five-year term).

The next regular meeting of Oxford Borough Council will take place on Monday, Jan. 26.