Oxford Mayor Proposes Guild Cover Cedar Oaks Upkeep Fees

City leaders and the Cedar Oaks Guild reached an agreement in October to transfer ownership of the Cedar Oaks home from the city to the Guild, but the deed transfer remains incomplete as the parties finalize statutorily required paperwork. In the interim the city has continued to pay operating expenses for the property, estimated at $1,500 to $2,000 per month, drawing attention to the ongoing financial burden of maintaining the mansion.

At the Jan. 9 Board of Aldermen meeting Mayor Robyn Tannehill proposed that the Guild begin assuming a $1,500 monthly fee starting Feb. 1 to cover routine maintenance and upkeep until the legal transfer is complete. The proposal is intended as a temporary measure to relieve the city’s budget while the Guild completes necessary legal steps to take full ownership.

The proposal follows earlier votes and actions that put the property’s future on the table. In September the board voted to advertise the property for sale, a move that underscored uncertainty about long-term stewardship. A subsequent donation to the Cedar Oaks Guild helped move the transfer effort forward, enabling negotiations that led to the October agreement. City officials estimate annual maintenance costs for Cedar Oaks at roughly $50,000, a figure that highlights the ongoing expense of preserving a historic mansion.

For Lafayette County residents the discussion touches municipal priorities and cultural stewardship. Shifting monthly operating costs to the Guild reduces short-term pressure on the city’s budget, but it also places financial responsibility on a nonprofit organization that will need sustainable funding to cover annual maintenance if the transfer ultimately completes. The estimated $50,000 per year equates to more than $4,100 each month in upkeep, suggesting that the $1,500 monthly interim fee covers only a portion of total expenses.

The outcome of the proposed arrangement will affect how quickly the city can reallocate funds to other services and how the Guild plans fundraising, programming, and public access for a property with historic value to the community. With the deed still pending because of statutory requirements, both sides are navigating a period in which operational control, legal title, and funding responsibilities are split between municipal and nonprofit stewards.

City officials and Guild representatives are continuing the legal and administrative work required to complete the transfer. In the meantime the board’s action on Feb. 1 will mark whether the Guild begins the proposed monthly payments and how the community’s historic asset will be managed during the transition.