Mayor Kathy Stark retiring from Oakland politics

When Kathy Stark was first elected in 1994 to serve as a commissioner for the town of Oakland, officials sat at a small folding table set up by the old vault of the historic bank-turned-Town Hall facility.

The town’s annual budget was about $100,000, Stark said. There was no real plan for the municipality and its future.

Thirty years later, the town budget is close to $20 million, town officials have embarked on a multi-million-dollar sewer project with a long-range plan for bringing in restaurants and shops, and Stark — who has served as Oakland mayor since 2004 — says it is time for someone else to continue her work.

Her final meeting was Tuesday, March 12.

“I think it’s the right time; I’ve been doing this for a while,” she said. “When I got here, I had a vision for what I thought this town should be, and now, at this point, we’re moving into ‘commercial follows residential rooftops,’ so we’re almost built out. There are two men who are running (for mayor) who have commercial contractor licenses and understand commercial.

“I want to go out on top,” Stark said. “I feel like I have served well and it’s time for new leadership. I made this decision more than a year ago.”

‘WE HAD POTENTIAL’

In 1994, the town of Oakland had less than 750 residents.

“I saw that we had potential,” Stark said of her initial decision to run for office. “I wanted to help with that. … I knew where we needed to go and when I moved into town … I said publicly, ‘We have potential to go either way.’ I loved that part  — you have a vision; how do we get there? And it took 30 years to get to where we are today. And I’m very satisfied with what we have done.”

Stark credits former Mayor Jon VanderLey for believing in Oakland’s future and for paving the way for Stark, who was his successor. She also acknowledges she has been part of a great team of commissioners, as well as a town staff that works in the town’s best interest.

“I’m most proud of the collaboration that we’ve had and the staff that we have built,” she said. “It’s more about the people than it is the things.”

Oakland has made many improvements during her tenure, Stark said.

“Town Manager Andy (Stewart) asked me … what three things did we do that I think are most prominent,” she said. “I did chair the Town Center improvement; that made a big difference. That also included the police station, the fire station, the charter school — all that happened at once. Also, managing growth in a thoughtful way and sewer.”

Ten years after Stark was first elected, VanderLey approached her and said she needed to run for mayor.

“He was like, ‘I’m not doing this anymore, and you need to step up,’” Stark said.

So, she did. And she remained in the seat for five four-year terms.

Why did she want to serve for so long?

“I didn’t feel like I had finished what I started,” she said.

‘DO THE RIGHT THINGS’

Even with all the growth, Stark sees Oakland as a small town with a heritage and culture that sets it apart from other municipalities in West Orange County.

“Our next challenge is going to be commercial development on Highway 50,” she said. “We have a plan, we have ordinances, and we just need to make sure that we do the right things. And both (mayoral candidates) have commercial contracting licenses, so they understand that business.”

Within the next decade, Oakland’s residential population will peak at around 8,000, she said. There also should be restaurant and business options along West Colonial Drive at that point, possibly a small hotel, she added. She would like to see small businesses with residential on the upper floors. She always has wanted to see a small tavern in the town.

Stark also anticipates the continuation of the Complete Streets project, which incorporates walkability and pedestrian safety. She hopes elected officials can come up with a solution to safely connect the north and south sides of the town across Colonial as well.

Another big task for the Town Commission and the next mayor will be to figure out how to hook existing residents, especially those living in the historic area of Oakland, onto the new sewer system.

WHAT’S NEXT

Stark said she has no aspirations to run for another office position.

“My husband and I are both retired,” she said. “We’re looking forward to having freedom to do whatever we would like, and that doesn’t mean that I’m not open to serving in another way.”

She has served on the board of the West Orange Chamber of Commerce for 20 years and on the session as an elder at the Oakland Presbyterian Church. She follows closely what’s happening with Friends of Lake Apopka and the Oakland Nature Preserve.

“There may be opportunities that come my way,” she said. “I think I’m always going to serve somehow.”

Stark said she will always look back fondly on her three decades of service to the town of Oakland.

“This has been a pleasure and unbelievably rewarding, and I’m very proud of how we have managed to do what we’ve done in the past 30 years,” she said.