On February 13, Oxford’s $2 million road improvement project advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives and Congressman Richard Neal was due attend the official announcement in Oxford Town Hall to present the details of the project’s funding. “This funding will support essential pre-construction activities including final design, easement acquisitions, environmental permitting, utility coordination, and other key preparations,” said Town Manager Jennifer Callahan. “These steps are necessary to position the project for timely construction and long-term success. This is truly incredible news. I’ve also extended our sincere gratitude to Congressman Neal at every legislative milestone that he’s been able to shepherd this funding through Congress. I also continued to monitor the legislative progress while keeping in touch with the Congressman’s office, as the funding remained contingent on final passage and enactment of the bill by the U.S. Senate and perhaps the U.S. House a final time.”

“I had received word that those appropriation bills had passed the Senate but there was one item with the Department of Homeland Security that had changes on the Senate side and that had sent this back to the House during the mini-shutdown,” Callahan said. “But, at every turn, Congressman Neal had been able to secure the passage of that appropriation. It was very important to us and it was something that would be used wisely in the future. We just had a public hearing and it was well attended and I reported that in the last Manager’s Report. I’m not aware of any other time where there has been a direct appropriation from Congress for this amount of money attached to it. I want to thank that leadership, because it’s very important to the town of Oxford. The Congressman has said that he wanted it to come specifically to the town of Oxford and not necessarily the state. This is very important to note.”