Council adopts salary increases for 2026, approves bicycle and pedestrian priority routes for cost estimates

Oxford City Council voted to adopt an ordinance amending salaries and certain benefits for city employees for 2026 and passed a resolution advancing priority routes in the draft bicycle and pedestrian master plan.

On the salary ordinance (second reading), Assistant City Manager Green told the council of a "minor edit" clarifying that the 5% increase applies to full‑time employees while part‑time staff will remain at a 4% increase. The ordinance was adopted on roll call; Miss French, Miss Renelez, Mr. Snavely, Miss Franklin and Mayor Smith each answered "yes" when the clerk called the roll.

Earlier, the council adopted a resolution from the Oxford Parking and Transportation Advisory Board to establish priority routes for future engineering cost estimation. Mr. Perry presented the four corridors the consultant will evaluate — Sycamore, Chestnut, College and Campus — and said cost estimates are necessary to plan projects and apply for grants: "What this would do is allow the consultant to move forward with the cost estimation potentially for projects in the future," he said.

Both the salary ordinance and the bicycle/pedestrian priority resolution passed by council vote during the meeting. The resolution authorizes staff to have consultants prepare schematic (30%) designs sufficient for grant applications; no construction projects are funded or scheduled by the resolution itself.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution (Parking and Transportation Advisory Board): Adopted by voice vote (no recorded dissent). Motion to adopt recorded during agenda; mover/second not specified on the transcript.

- Ordinance (2026 salaries and benefits): Adopted on roll call (Miss French — yes; Miss Renelez — yes; Mr. Snavely — yes; Miss Franklin — yes; Mayor Smith — yes).