OAKDALE, Calif. — Oakdale is set for a change in leadership after Mayor J.R. McCarty announced he will resign his elected position effective Dec. 31.
Mayor McCarty has been serving in the position since Nov. 2018. The mayor said he is resigning in part due to a move in residence.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve the wonderful community of Oakdale as its mayor and, previously, as a council member,” McCarty said. “Recently, my wife and I purchased a home outside the city limits that we are currently remodeling. We plan to reside there sometime after the first of the year.”
Elected to serve as council member in Oakdale in 2014, McCarty has spent the last six years in office focused primarily on infrastructure, like improving streets and roads.
According to a press release, the mayor was also a strong voice in the city's fiscal practices, helping to increase the Oakdale's General Fund reserves.
“Mayor McCarty’s leadership and direction over the last several years and especially during 2020 has been critically important to the City’s ability to navigate the current challenging times we now face,” said City Manager Bryan Whitemyer. “I want to personally thank Mayor McCarty for his guidance and direction and wish him the best in his new endeavors.”
With the position of mayor now open, the City Council will have 60 days from Dec. 31 to find a replacement. There may be a special election on the horizon to elect a new mayor for the rest of the term which expires Nov. 2022.
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