After serving for three years, Wildomar City Manager Frank Oviedo announced today his voluntary resignation to assume the position of Assistant City Manager in the Southern California city of Santa Clarita.
The news was issued via an emailed announcement sent out late Monday.
The post in Santa Clarita could be considered a step up for Oviedo: The city serves a population of 203,000.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity Wildomar afforded me these last three years. It has been an absolute thrill to be the City's first City Manager. It is without a doubt one of the highlights of my career,” Oviedo said in the announcement. “It was a tough decision but in the end having family in the Santa Clarita Valley tipped the scale. My kids will appreciate living near their grandparents.”
Wildomar Mayor Ben Benoit thanked Oviedo for his service to the city.
"Frank's management style suited Wildomar well in these early years. We hate to see him go but we do wish him well in his new venture," the mayor said in the news release. "Frank assisted the City Council through some very difficult financial times but managed to finish his tenure with the City on a high note with the passage of Measure Z. We will forever be grateful for his service to our community."
Benoit told Patch that Oviedo has requested a 30-day notice although the city manager contract calls for 60 days. The city council is working to schedule a special closed-session meeting to discuss the matter along with details on hiring Oviedo’s replacement.
In Monday’s announcement, Oviedo’s performance as the city’s top leader was repeatedly praised, and for his part, the city manager said, "When I got here sales and property tax was in steep decline, new development was absent, and the County parks tax was overturned by the Courts. Even with those challenges I believed Wildomar had great potential. I tried to do everything in my power in the last three years to assist the new City Council in turning the ship around. With a little luck and a lot planning I believe the City is finally pointed in a positive direction. I can leave knowing the City is positioned to do great things in the future."
