OLDSMAR, Fla. — There is a new mayor in Oldsmar. Katie Gannon has been sworn in to lead the city.

What You Need To Know

  • Katie Gannon has been sworn in as the mayor of Oldsmar

  • Gannon was raised in Oldsmar and previously served on the city council

  • She said the city is in need of healing after back-to-back hurricanes

“Feels incredible to say that,” Gannon laughed after saying she was the mayor of Oldsmar. “Not many people can say they returned to their hometown since the third grade and have successfully run for mayor.”

Gannon was raised in Oldsmar and previously served two terms on the City Council as Vice Mayor.

“My priority in the next three years is not to leave Oldsmar better than I found it, but to leave Oldsmar better than it’s ever been,” she said. “My goal is to make our city, the destination.”

Gannon said there is a lot of work to do in her hometown. After last year’s back-to-back hurricanes and flash flooding, Oldsmar residents are still trying to recover.

Gannon said more than 500 homes were damaged in Oldsmar. Neighbors helped neighbors get back on their feet.

But Gannon said the healing process is far from over.

“In many ways, we need literal healing,” Gannon said. “We have people who are still working to get permits getting back into their homes. Some people have decided to move or sell their homes. And that’s a big change for our city.”

For those who are rebuilding their homes, Gannon said she wants to make sure they follow regulations, no matter how frustrating the process may be. Gannon said if they choose to go another route, their homes could be deemed unsellable.

Meanwhile, Gannon said the city has been reimbursed $2.88 million from FEMA so far for recovery efforts.

Gannon said her next three years as mayor will be one of transition for Oldsmar, and possibly one of development. Sometime this spring, Gannon said the city will sell the property next to the Oldsmar library and add more housing and small businesses to the landscape.

“I would hope that we can see something in the next three years,” Gannon said.

What is uncertain is the future of the land next to Oldsmar City Hall. For two decades, there has been a back and forth about what to do with the eight acres. In November, after the hurricanes, an Ohio company indicated they were still interested in developing the site.

The mayor said she’d love to see the right project go up there.

“We don’t want just a building, we want a public space, maybe park space, maybe we can have shade structures, Saturday markets there, a dog park, somewhere that our residents can go to,” Gannon said. “It has to be symbiotic.”

She mentioned outdoor dining or a park area. But Gannon said in the past, neighbors have not had enough of a voice on what will happen. Gannon pledges transparency during her time in office.

“I do hope that we see some movement in my term, although they say it takes a year to plan and a year to permit before you even put a shovel in the ground,” Gannon said.

Gannon said the priority right now is recovering from those storms and preparing for yet another hurricane season.