Oxford, MD Commissioners Vote to Remove EV Chargers

High Operating Costs Including New State Registration Fee Cited

On February 10, 2026 the Commissioners of the Town of Oxford, Maryland voted unanimously to remove the town’s public EV charging stations. The decision came after discussion of ongoing expenses estimated at approximately $7,000 per year, primarily for electricity and maintenance. 

The principal reasons were the inability to shift costs to users and a lack of resident support for taxpayer subsidies. A town survey found that only 7% of respondents supported the town covering most of the costs, while 59% were willing to absorb less than $1,000 annually, well below actual expenses.

A Vendor Deal That Didn’t Add Up

Town staff explored a vendor agreement with the EV Institute to add credit card payment capability at the chargers. Under the proposal, the vendor would collect revenues and remit 30% to the town, while the town remained responsible for 100% of electricity costs plus annual maintenance. The arrangement would have recovered only a fraction of expenses, leaving local taxpayers to cover the remainder.

State Registration Fee Adds to the Burden

A secondary but notable factor was Maryland’s new Weights and Measures registration fee for public EV chargers. The fee was set at $150 per port annually by the Secretary of Agriculture under authority granted in 2025 by the General Assembly in the Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act (BRFA). Commissioners noted that this additional regulatory cost would increase ongoing expenses, further complicating any path to cost recovery.

Residents Weigh In

Public comment from residents was largely opposed to the town subsidizing free charging. The Commissioners approved the removal of the charging stations at an estimated cost of $650.

This small-town case illustrates the misalignment at the heart of Maryland’s current EV policy. The $150 per-port fee was designed to fund Weights and Measures inspections for EVSE metering accuracy. Yet the fee’s most immediate effect has been to discourage small operators like Oxford who provide charging as a public amenity with little or no revenue.

Legislation Being Considered

The Maryland General Assembly is considering the issue in HB 1225, which had its hearing before the House Environment and Transportation Committee on March 4, 2026. The bill originally proposed to lower the EVSE registration fee to $20, the same as the fee for gasoline pump meters, and to fund inspection equipment through the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund.

In a letter of testimony on the bill, the Maryland Department of Agriculture described proposed amendments that would “introduce the opportunity for the Secretary to administer an administrative penalty against EVSE owners/operators whose equipment fails to meet national NIST standards for operations.” The fee level is being addressed separately with a figure of $75 per port being discussed. The committee has not yet acted on the bill. Whether any relief arrives in time to influence decisions like Oxford’s remains an open question.

For more details, see the Town of Oxford Commissioners Meeting Agenda from February 10, 2026 and the related meeting video recording at 34:15. Also, the video of January13, 2026 Public Comment at 21:20.