“I think the biggest challenge for me will just be trying to fill the shoes of somebody (who) has been there for two decades,” Smiddy said of Klopsch, who is stepping down Nov. 1 after more than 22 years in the job and 32 years with the city.
Smiddy said she intends on “just getting quickly caught up to speed on all of the relevant items for Oakwood, and meeting with all of the staff and trying to get us all together, marching to the same beat forward.”
Credit: doug sanders
Credit: doug sanders
Oakwood Mayor Bill Duncan expressed full confidence in Smiddy, the unanimous top pick among more than 20 applicants, but said “it’s going to be a learning curve for everybody.
“Norb told us, and I think most of the candidates told us, it could take anywhere from 18 to 24 months to get really comfortable in learning the position and … just understanding the history of Oakwood, why we do certain things the way we do them and that sort of thing,” Duncan said. “It takes a while for any new person.”
Duncan said Smiddy and Centerville Public Works Director Patrick Turnbull were the two finalists city council had return for interviews Sept. 9, but there wasn’t a particular issue that set Smiddy apart.
“She interviewed very well from the beginning and she’s very, very personable, and she has apretty good financial skill set,” he said. “And I think that that’s something that we felt was important because Norb was always very open and transparent with members of the community.
“Our community feels like you can just get on the phone and call the city manager (and) tell them if there’s a pothole that needs to be fixed,” he added. “And we felt that she had the ability to deal with those types of issues — community issues — in addition to council issues. By and large, it was pretty much a consensus from the beginning.”
Smiddy’s starting annual salary will be $160,000 a year, according to her contract. The city will provide her vacation time accrued at the rate of a 16-year employee, or 20 days, and a vehicle, the agreement states.
The contract also calls for Smiddy to receive a $50 a month allowance for cellphone and a $15,000 stipend to move to Oakwood, which she plans to do in “the coming months. The sooner the better,” she said.
Smiddy has more than 25 years experience in public finance, working for cities and government agencies in Butler and Hamilton counties, according to Oakwood records.
Springdale, where she has worked just since December 2023, has a population of about 11,000 compared to Oakwood’s estimated 9,500.
Smiddy earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Xavier University and a master’s degree in public administration from Wright State University.
“I knew my heart has always been in municipal government as a public servant. So having that (master’s) degree and then this position opening was a great match,” Smiddy said.
“Being a public servant, you have to always take care of the community and take care of council and take care of staff,” she said.
Smiddy said she’s had “many opportunities to interact with staff and council members and residents and businesses within jurisdictions and managing through what’s important to all of them.”
“I’m pretty open and very collaborative,” she added. “So, I want to hear from our department heads and staff members, who are on the front line doing the work day in and day out, and collectively make decisions that will keep the community a premier community.”
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