The Village of Oakwood has a new interim mayor. Trustee Robert Wright is taking on the responsibilities of mayor following the resignation of Heather McArty. Wright reacted to the appointment during a meeting of the Oakwood Village Board tonight (Monday, September 19, 2022)….
Audio Player{AUDIO: ‘’I had hoped to not come to this position in this manner. And my sincerest wish (was) that it would not be necessary. I have extended my respect to Mrs. McArty and Mr. Strohl for their work and dedication to the Village. And further, it is my belief that the trustees I will be serving along side are very caring and dedicated individuals who sincerely want the best for the current Oakwood residents and those who will join our community in years to come.’’}
McArty won the mayor’s slot in the spring municipal election last year.
(Oakwood Village Hall.)
In her resignation letter, McArty said ending her term prematurely was not a decision that was made hastily. But McArty added she had reached her tolerance for the ‘’quarrelsome nature and personal political motives of a few of the current trustees and former mayors.’’ McArty called it counter-productive.
Oakwood’s new interim Mayor Robert Wright thinks some earlier votes are what got some people upset…
Audio Player{AUDIO: ‘’There’s an opinion among some in the community that past boards did not handle matters correctly many years ago when the water company was sold, or more recently when the building of the new village hall – to name just a couple of examples. Heartfelt, hard feelings were born in some current and former board members – but I believe that that shows they did the best that they could and felt it was the right action at the time. That is all we could possibly ask of anyone willing to serve their community receiving no personal gain and very little appreciation.’’}
In addition to former mayor McArty, Trustee Ferrell Strohl has also resigned from the Oakwood Village Board. He said he always voted his conscious ‘’with the good people of Oakwood in mind.’’
The Oakwood board also:
- Decided to schedule a special study session for October 1st to discuss short and long-range planning for the community;
- Heard from a man who is a new co-owner of the former Pit Stop Bar. The new owners envision turning the building into a family-friendly café with gaming. But board members were told it could not be done without some help from Oakwood’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) program;
- Learned that five new service bays – instead of three – are now proposed for a Pilot/Southern Tire Mart located on the north side of Oakwood near interstate 74.
