OXFORD — The Oxford Board of Selectmen on Thursday night approved sending the proposed $5,261,210 budget to a vote at the annual Town Meeting.

The budget represents a decrease of $420,372, or 7.5%, to the current spending plan.

The county assessment is $450,248 for the coming fiscal year, an increase of almost 1%.

Adam Garland presented a brief, bottom-line expense summary for each department. He also told the board he plans to create budget videos that can be posted on social media and Oxford’s website to explain to residents the budget for each department.

“I’d like to thank Adam for the detail that he has provided, breaking down every single department and explaining the line items this year,” Selectman Sharon Jackson said. “It has made it a lot better and easier to understand what it is we’re paying for. He did not have a lot of time but he did that, and it makes it a lot easier for us.”

Selectman Caldwell Jackson added his appreciation for the work the budget committee had done. Vice Chair Samantha Hewey agreed, saying it was the most effective and respectful process she had seen over the past five years.

“I appreciate the board members that were there, the budget committee and the town manager, so thank you,” Jackson said.

Garland reported to selectmen on bids received for construction of a new Town Office and rehabilitation of the current building, which is plagued with basement mold and other health-and-safety concerns.

The three bids for construction of a new Town Office came from Doten’s Construction of Freeport, $2.8 million; Lajoie Brothers Inc. of Augusta, $1.9 million; and Hardypond Construction of Portland, $1.7 million.

Doten’s Construction also bid $2.2 million to rehabilitate the Pleasant Street building, and $2.8 million to build an addition that would bring the municipal offices to the Oxford Public Safety Building.

Garland also reopened talks with the property managers for Oxford Plaza, and told selectmen the town could sign a three-year lease to rent office space there.

Voters previously rejected a five-year lease at a special town meeting earlier this year. Garland told selectmen the lower new construction bid he had received would be the equivalent of leasing a Town Office for 19 years and highest bid equals the cost of leasing for 29 years.

Selectmen opposed putting any money into the current building and asked to review each bid individually. They also agreed a three-year lease may be appropriate to weather the sky-rocketing building materials costs caused by the pandemic. They scheduled a workshop to to further discuss on May 20 at 5 p.m., ahead of the next selectmen’s meeting.

During the public comment period of the meeting, Tom Kennison of the Economic Development Advisory Committee addressed selectmen about a 42-acres parcel that John Schiavi agreed to donate to the town without restriction. He said the previous town manager had approved the transaction, although Kennison said he was under the impression the board had not voted to pursue it.

“We have everything ready to go,” Kennison said. “I talked with Beth (Olsen) and Adam, and was told it would be discussed here tonight and that there were questions.”

“Butch had told us that John was willing to donate the property to the town,” Chairman Scott Hunter said.

“We were told you would come in to describe the lot to us and where it is situated on (Route) 26,” Selectman Caldwell Jackson said. “That was my understanding.”

Kennison provided enough information Thursday about the land and its possible uses that selectmen voted to add it to the warrant for the Town Meeting in June, when residents would vote on whether to accept the land donation.

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