Fact Checking Costigan At The Oxford Candidates Forum
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If you were watching the Commissioner Candidate's Forum in Oxford, Maryland on Monday night, you might think that both candidates, Dave Donovan and Tom Costigan, did a great job. On the surface, the forum sounded great. No acrimony. No negativity. The League of Women Voters did a great job, the crowd was respectful and attentive. Mr. Donovan, the challenger stated clearly thought out answers and ideas. Costigan seemed engaged and energetic.
There was only one problem. A lot of what Costigan said was FALSE, LIES, OR JUST INCORRECT. As the incumbent Costigan had an advantage of knowing all the "inside baseball" facts of what has happened in the Town of Oxford in the past three years. He claimed to have all the "institutional knowledge" he needed to be re-elected. He had plenty of notes he referred to.
And let's face it, in a format where no debate or follow up discussion between candidates is allowed, the incumbent has the advantage. And yet, Costigan couldn't help himself. He could not stay within the truth. He had to lie.
We have gone step by step through most of his biggest LIES which we have put in BOLD Italics. Then we have supplied the truth.
The Town followed the 9-year-old storm management plan. This is not true. That plan, which was hidden by the town office from citizens for 8 years, called for the worst flooding areas of Oxford to be addressed first. These are the areas of the Causeway, Tilghman Street, Banks Street, and Stewart Street and then the area of Pier Street. This is not what happened. New flood gates were installed on Caroline Street and Pier Street. Guess who lives near Caroline Street? The other areas are being addressed with mobile pumps which will pump water OUT after an area has been inundated. Costigan also said that he has been "shown every pump and pipe" in the town. 2016 Oxford Stormwater Master Plan Made Public On Town Website - The Easton Gazette As for being shown every pump and pipe in town, many of those pipes are now failing due to a decade or more of neglect, including the last three years.
Costigan said, while discussing town communication, he was the one who started the Livestream of town meetings. Not true. Town meetings started being broadcast online during Covid. That was 2020. Costigan was NOT a commissioner. He also claimed he started the idea of the town using Constant Contact for email. He didn't do that. Staff did. LIE. In fact, Costigan tried everything to KEEP people from communicating.Oxford Commissioners Discuss Free Speech And Incomplete Strand Project - The Easton Gazette
Tom said the town conducted a "bifurcated" search for a new town manager after former Town Manager Cheryl Lewis announced her retirement. This was supposed to mean they did both search methods by design; letting the current staff conduct the search first AND then hiring a search firm. FALSE. The town allowed Lewis to conduct the initial search and background check for her replacement which led to a man being hired who had been arrested for exposing himself to young children. Oxford Citizens Discover Troubling Allegations About Newly Hired Town Manager Prompting His Immediate Dismissal - The Easton Gazette Only after that debacle and sending the man home, did Costigan say that the town "pivoted" and hired a reputable firm to conduct a search. Costigan claimed that search firm cost $100,000 and only yielded five candidates. TWO LIES. It was $26,000 for the search firm and many candidates were culled by the firm before the interview process. Thankfully, the town got our present Town Manager Holly Wahl from the search. Wahl is extremely well qualified and professional. It wouldn't have happened if Costigan and appointed Commissioner Susan Delean Botkin had their way. Oxford Commissioners Admit: "We Were Wrong" - The Easton Gazette
Our current town election system has worked for 350 years. LIE. First of all, the way elections were conducted for years were determined by the Charter. The Charter mentions nothing about having to claim Oxford as your "domicile" to vote. As a matter of fact, we used to identify ourselves to vote in a town election with our name and address. It was that way for a very long time. No Talbot County Election Board registration needed. Here is the link to BOTH charter documents where you can find voter eligibility: OLD: Charter of the Town of Oxford NEW: xydoc/1
Costigan said that allegations had been made by people that the town hadn't been audited for 17 years. Again, LIE. I believe that the allegations were that the auditors said that they found flaws in the town's financial management for seven consecutive years. These flaws were ignored by the Commissioners, allowing the Town Manager to have all finances under her control. Here is the article where we exposed this: Town Of Oxford Ignores Seven Years Of Financial Auditor's Concerns - The Easton Gazette What WAS also said is that the town manager had somehow LOST the town's long standing financial policies only to mysteriously find them after being pressed to address them. Which Other Documents Are Kept Hidden In The Oxford Town Office? - The Easton Gazette Costigan also said that asking for a forensic audit was insulting to staff. No, not really. Corporations do it all the time to make sure they are on the right track. This happens quite a bit when management personnel change. Costigan protected Lewis regardless of the truth.
Another falsehood was telling people that if we don't hire a third cop Oxford could end up with crime like the City of Cambridge. He even mentioned "shot spotters" which have been in place in Cambridge for over a decade. I'm not sure if Tom has been to Cambridge or not, but it isn't anything like Oxford in size, population, and demographic. Here are the facts: Two officers with four days on duty and supplementation with Talbot Sheriff's Department for special occasions could cover the town with our 56 calls, 5 reports, 1 arrest, 3 court orders, 8 other enforcement actions, and 222 property checks in a year (from 2024). The hiring of a third officer could potentially cost the town over $180,000 with vehicle and fringe benefits. Oxford's safety ranking of over 94% safer than other similar U.S. cities supports a leaner scheduled focused on prevention (stopping speeders, patrolling neighborhoods, etc.) Currently, Oxford's department spends $336 per resident, higher than 74% of similar sized departments. Obviously, Costigan was trying to use fear to garner votes. LIE. Sources: https://policescorecard.org/md/police-department/oxford
https://www.areavibes.com/oxford-md/crime/Costigan said public safety is his #1 priority. Except if he really meant that, why didn't he work harder to get a speed camera at the entrance to town or at least convince our police staff to consistently station themselves at the entrance of town and write tickets? Where Is Oxford's Speed Camera? - The Easton Gazette
When it came to the question about getting new people on Committees and Commissions, Tom said that there is no cronyism or favoritism in appointments. LIE. Tell that to the many people who have applied to committees only to be turned away for a less qualified applicant who is a good friend or supporter of a commissioner. While Tom said he welcomed turnover on committees he also said that term limits would hurt "continuity" on those committees. Which is it? Is continuity important if the same people are still making the same bad, sometimes unethical decisions that hurt some and favor others? We have recently seen that committee members who prove themselves to be biased against certain citizens are left on these boards. While the selection process has been improved, it has yet to be seen if the Commissioners will work to select the MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE for openings, particularly after one Commissioner felt compelled during a public meeting to issue what seemed to be an apology for choosing a new (more qualified) member of a commission over a returning one. We appreciate volunteers as much as anyone, but let's spread the opportunities! The Underground Government: Volunteer Committees and Commissions In Small Towns - The Easton Gazette
There was a question about picking the new President of the Commissioners and what that process should be. Tom Costigan said that by tradition the last year of a Commissioner's term should be when that person gets elected as President of the Commission and he wanted to return to that practice. Somehow, Tom forgot that idea conveniently last year as covered in part at the end of this article: Oxford Commissioners Admit: "We Were Wrong" - The Easton Gazette Last year, ten minutes after Norm Bell was sworn in, Tom nominated Norm for Commission President and then he and Norm voted him into that position. Dave Donovan reminded Costigan that action, calling Tom's decision to appoint the recently sworn in Norm Bell over the experienced Greer "rude and sexist." Tom Lied and Got Called out!
When asked about the numerous Public Information Act requests, Costigan stated that PIA's were out of control, weaponized and "vexatious and dangerous." He stated that all people needed to do to get answers to questions was to walk into the town office and ask. WHERE HAS HE BEEN FOR MOST OF HIS TERM? Anyone who asked a question about town finances, practices, etc. prior to January of 2025 was not only ignored by the former Town Manager who would scurry quickly into her office, they were lied to, or, worse, targeted. Yes, more than 40 people filed PIA's. There was no trust in the town and Costigan contributed to that by blaming people for asking questions. His statement was a lie! Attack On Transparency: The Slow Walking Of Freedom Of Information/Public Information Act Requests - The Easton Gazette; Town Of Oxford Weaponizes PIA Request Fees - The Easton Gazette. As Dave Donovan stated, the new Town Manager is fixing that and re-establishing trust, but it takes time.
And, finally, the biggest WHOPPER of all. The STRAND PROJECT IS WORKING!!!! How does Tom know? Because he signed off on it after being advised to do so by Cheryl Lewis! Tom said, " I spent many hours down on the Strand in the freezing weather working with the contractor down there. I had hoped they were working per plan and per contract. Obviously, there were some problems, problems that they can work through." Wait. The contractor didn't work in the "freezing weather." Initial construction was from October 24, 2023 to November 15, 2023 and then April and May of 2024. Another lie. The town is currently in non-compliance with the Strand Project per Maryland Department of Environment and the Army Corps of Engineers. According to Town Manager HOLLY WAHL on June 10th, the town is "still working with regulating agencies, both the State of Maryland and the Army Corps of Engineers. They have notated several deficiencies in that first phase of the project that the contractor is still working to mitigate. The town is still holding $206,000 to ensure those repairs are completed. The contractor was on site last Friday planting an additional 2,000 low marsh plantings to meet the requirements of regulators." However, when Costigan signed the check, he relied on his town manager at the time, Cheryl Lewis, to tell him to do so. Lewis is not an engineer nor an expert on this kind of project. Thus, Costigan signed off that it was done LAST YEAR. The town is now stuck trying to fix the mess. At the very least, if the project was designed to save the beach, the beach is smaller and less appealing. If it was designed to prevent flooding, it's not, water still covers the Strand Road. If we were supposed to have a walking path on Strand Road, we don't. If the disabled are supposed to have access, they don't. If it's supposed to be full of plants, it isn't. Whatever happened to accountability? It's gone in the blink of an eye and so is a substantial amount the town's money signed away by Town Commission President Tom Costigan. AS FOR PHASE TWO which would have involved the raising of the Strand Road and Parking Lot and improvements to some private property, there IS NO MONEY FOR THOSE PROJECTS. And they were the MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE PROJECT!When two thirds of a project are not completed, it is NOT WORKING! LIE! Oxford Commissioners Discuss Free Speech And Incomplete Strand Project - The Easton Gazette, Oxford Strand Restoration: An Ugly Unsafe Test Case? - The Easton Gazette
I don't know if Tom realizes he is lying. Is he forgetful or just hoping that things are the way he says they are? Does he hope voters are forgetful? Was he saying what he thinks he needs to say to get votes from those who don't know the truth?
I think he knows much of what he is saying is false and he just doesn't care as long as it gets him elected. He's done it before.
This leads us to our final point. You may remember that Tom Costigan walked into my yard prior to the 2022 election and promised to get the Town Manager, Cheryl Lewis, under control. He never did. And during those three years, Tom never came back to my yard or even my neighborhood. Yet, he thinks he is more qualified to represent me and make decisions for the town because he has lived here FULL TIME for 16 years. Why? He won't even talk to me! Quite frankly, he won't even look me in the eyes. I know there are other people/neighborhoods he treats the same way.
Is it because I write articles he doesn't like or I am friends with people he doesn't like? Maybe. But as a Commissioner, shouldn't he get over that? Isn't that part of the job he wants so badly? Wouldn't it be a good idea at some point to talk to people like me who disagree with him or question what is going on? Norm Bell does it. In fact, Norm used to be in our neighborhood quite a bit when he walked. He and I talked a lot, even when I didn't write flattering things about him. Norm and I don't always agree and sometimes he upsets me and I upset him. But he gets beyond that. Katrina Greer is always available. If I ask her a question, she answers it. Those two Commissioners get it.
Tom does not. The sooner the people of this town realize that the better. We need to get beyond all his salesman's phony rhetoric. Anyone can spout that. But not everyone can do what they promise.
Dave Donovan, who has not lived here 16 years, has been visiting town citizens every day during the campaign. He talks to people and listens to them. Yes, he has done it because he is running, but he has also been very open to conversations. He even went to houses and talked at length with people HE KNEW WEREN'T VOTING FOR HIM. That's impressive to me. That's the Commissioner I want.
Believe me, Dave and I are probably nowhere near each other politically. But when it comes to Oxford, we can put aside differences and TALK about our ideas. He's not afraid to do that. Will he do everything the way I want it done? Probably not. But, if and when that happens we'll talk. We may disagree.
It's time for Oxford to stop pretending and being co-dependent on Costigan's falsehoods to make us feel like all is well. We need to leave fantasy behind and face reality; the truth.
VIDEO OF FORUM: