Candidate Guide 2025: Oviedo City Council

Sladek, 46, is a lifelong resident of Oviedo, slated to begin her fourth term as mayor after running unopposed in this year’s mayoral election. 

Born at Winter Park Hospital, Sladek grew up at the end of a dirt road near Oviedo High School, where she graduated as valedictorian in 1997. Sladek then earned a law degree from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame. She also spent time studying in India and working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

After being away from her hometown for about eight years, Sladek moved back to settle down and start a family. She moved into the former Lake Charm Memorial Chapel, the oldest standing structure in Oviedo. Sladek cited her love for the house since she was a child, particularly its “secret garden,” which led her to eventually call it her home.

Beyond her work in city government, Sladek is the owner of Wolfshead Real Estate LLC, Executive Director and founder of The Oviedo Preservation Project and broker for Sun Florida Realty. She is also a past board member and current member of American Legion Memorial Post 243 and an active member of CrossLife Church.

After the city shot down her proposal for an Oviedo historic district, Sladek decided she needed to be one of the votes on the ballot. She ran for City Council in 2016 and served until 2018, before running for mayor in 2019, where she has served three terms.

Sladek said her main priorities include getting the city out of its municipal debt of $50 million, attracting more businesses to Oviedo and focusing on economic development. According to her website, her platform includes treating everyone equally and respectfully, being fair and environmentally conservative and letting the private sector do its job.

According to VoteSeminole.gov, Sladek has raised $12,382.31 in monetary contributions and $302.91 in in-kind contributions. Sladek said a lot of the funds were used in efforts before she was uncontested, and the rest went to an office account. She also said she used some of the funds to purchase scissors for ribbon cuttings in the city, saying business owners gave her the idea when she asked how the city could be more business-friendly.

Oviedo Mayor is responsible for:

-Being the link between the city and other governing bodies
-Acts as the public face of Oviedo at events and meetings
-Votes on City Council matters
-Oversees Oviedo’s direction at a policy level

Voter questions

So many trees have been removed for road projects (Broadway widening) and re-done retention ponds (by Lawton Chiles Elementary School) but I haven’t seen any new trees or plants being planted. What is the plan, and are you making sure to use only native trees and plants? 

At this time, there is no plan to replace the trees as there is no funding. The City has applied for some grants and we’re hoping for the best. While I have always advocated for native trees and plants, I don’t know that there are three votes on council to force that to happen. Back in 2020, I earned a $50,000 grant from the United States Conference of Mayors to plant native edible plants around Solary Park. Rather than accept the grant, Council at that time voted not to accept the money, even if it cost taxpayers nothing. Two (of the four) people who voted not to accept the money remain on City Council. I will absolutely ask for this to be considered as a citywide initiative. We ought to lead by example. 

Along State Road 434 we see many road kill animals, especially near the Black Hammock area. Can we plan for an animal pass-over/under in this area to protect the wildlife that is slowly being forced out of their habitats? 

The water table is too high to have a fully dry underpass, but there is already a wet-bottomed (wading through the water, dry to breathe) underpass that animals are using with great success. 

Is S.R. 434 going to be widened between S.R. 417 and Mitchell Hammock Road? How do you plan on handling that in a way that’s not disruptive to the area? 

Only from 417 to Franklin Street, then there are no solid plans to make it any wider than is possible with the amount of land currently available. In my opinion, we should not widen that last stretch. If someone is at 417/434 and they want to go to Mitchell Hammock or somewhere farther south, they should stay on 417 and not cut through Oviedo. Highways are for high-speed traffic. This stretch of 434 is the last bit of historic-feeling Oviedo we have left. 

I think we have enough buildings for the roads we have. We have grown enough and are risking losing the quality of life we have had. I have lived in the same house since 1998 and it makes me sad the direction this town is going. What’s the limit for Oviedo’s growth? What’s “enough” for you? 

For some perspective, I live in a house built in 1880 and have lived here since 1979. The population of Oviedo when I was growing up was 3,000 all through elementary school. I was probably devastated when the land where your house was built was scalped to make way for the home in which you live. But I’m guessing the trees have grown back. Nature always wins. As for there being enough stuff on the sides of the roads, that may be true in some parts of town, but there is no single-family neighborhood where there is enough density for the taxes paid to cover the cost of maintaining the infrastructure that leads to it. We are able to balance the budget anyway because places that are more dense and non-homesteaded – like apartment complexes – pay substantially more taxes per acre than spread out suburbia. Essentially, apartments subsidize suburban neighborhoods. 

Under state-level law, we cannot stop growth, so there is no limit. It doesn’t matter what I consider “enough,” because state law has set parameters that make more, allowable indefinitely. All we can do is nudge the new growth to be as harmonious as possible….and state laws passed in the last two years have really thrown a monkey wrench in that system by changing all the rules and eliminating a lot of the regulatory tools we once could use to massage projects into something we could get more excited about.  

What are your plans to improve traffic flow and road capacity? 

Build more sidewalks and encourage people to bike and walk more. I have no interest in building more roads. They cost too much and we’re flat out of room to widen any roads. 

Not all development is good development. There seems to be no strategy to what I see being built in Oviedo and with the troubling economy, tariffs and continued strain on homeowners. I don’t see a strong approach to diversifying the tax base. Many of the businesses I have seen open are struggling and may very well close soon. What is the plan? 

To let the free market do its job. Good business plans will succeed and bad ones will fail. Private land owners and private business owners are free to build whatever they like and attempt whatever sort of legal business they believe is in demand in Oviedo. While I’d love to see us get a more diverse tax base, it is likely just not in the cards. The highest and best use for any land in Oviedo is residential. By highest and best, I don’t mean the thing I’d like it to be used as, rather, I mean the use for which people will pay the highest price per acre for the land. Because rent in Oviedo is so high, you can get more rent from an apartment complex than a retail store, industrial complex, or office space. So the free market will not naturally build a lot of these other things. When it does, you better believe the private sector has done its research and found a way to make the numbers work.
To add complication to the mix, recent state laws allow people to build affordable housing anywhere in the State of Florida that is zoned commercial, industrial, or mixed use WITHOUT A HEARING. So even though Oviedo attempted to designate portions of land as non-residential, or at least mixed use, we cannot legally prevent pure housing from being built, so long as it meets the criteria of “affordable.” And in Seminole County, our median income is so high that the luxury apartment rents qualify. 

Why does it seem like speeding in neighborhoods isn’t enforced? Do we not have enough of a police budget to handle it? 

We do not. Oviedo owns over 319 lane miles of roads and we have under 70 police officers. These officers must sleep, and they also are not able to occupy all 319 miles of road at the same time. They focus on areas that make the biggest impact. Inside neighborhoods – most of which are dead-end neighborhoods that lead to nothing but more houses – is a place where one might expect to find only people who live inside the neighborhood driving and endangering people. I hope your neighbors will choose to start following the speed limit. One idea to help slow down traffic is to park cars in the road and make it feel narrower. It’s free and effective. If you can get your neighbors to park their cars in the street, too, it’ll make the road even narrower and that much safer. 

Lockwood needs repair. Bad potholes between McCullough and the schools. You either have to suffer riding on the potholes or go into the other lane partially or go into the bike lane. It is unpleasant and dangerous. What is your plan for a more permanent solution? 

That stretch of road is outside Oviedo city limits and we do not have jurisdiction over it. I will let the County know that you wish it were smoother. 

The section of Broadway between Oviedo Boulevard and Reed Road is poorly maintained. The grass is cut poorly when it’s cut and it usually looks terrible. The landscape company is doing a very poor job and needs to be replaced. Who is responsible for the maintenance: the City or the County?

Neither. The contractor who built 426/419 is still in charge. The moment they officially complete all remaining punch list items, the road will be turned over to the County. 

Why won’t the city rezone certain residential neighborhoods to allow for smaller, more affordable homes to help alleviate the homelessness issue in Oviedo?

Because rich people show up to city hall and fuss that it will harm property values every time it is brought up. I advocated for more density to be allowed along the edges of major highways and four-lane roads (“big” roads), but Council voted not to do it. Even if you make the lots tiny, it will not make housing more affordable. Multi-family is the way to go. It’s just math. The going rate for a 500-square-foot tiny house in Oviedo (yes, they exist) is $250k. 

What I could get on board with is allowing people to convert single-family homes to duplexes, allowing entire families to live in backyard cottages, and allowing people who are interested in running a boarding house to do so. I could also get excited about allowing someone to build an eight-bedroom micro apartment complex in the same footprint that a 3,500-square-foot house is legally allowed to occupy. Seriously, what’s it to you if one family with eight people lives in a 3,500-square-foot home or eight single people live in eight rooms and share a kitchen? All of these efforts have been fought in the past, even as recently as this past summer. I attempted to get [Oviedo City] Council to agree to change the rule we have on the book that says no more than three unrelated people can live together. 

Why are local park entrances locked from the public during certain times like OSC [Oviedo Sports Center] and Shane Kelly Park? In other areas where I’ve lived this is not the case, I would understand better if these were private parks, but they’re owned by the city and should be available for residents to use. Can you change that?

I disagree with this as well, and there appears to be insurance concerns and concerns with people doing mischief in the parks after dark. Growing up here in Oviedo, I often visited in the dark the very same parks that are now locked at night. I’ll ask again. What’s extra idiotic is that three members of Council voted to build a trail to nowhere – connecting the back ends of two often-locked parks to each other via a 10-foot trail that will be surrounded by a chain link fence on both sides. It’ll have a creepy jail yard vibe when it is completed. (I voted against this).

What is going on with the Magnolia Street bridge? I moved to Oviedo in 2023 and it was still barricaded off and under construction exactly how it is now. I pass by it a lot and I have only seen workers actually working on it once or twice in the two years I have been here.

Hurricane Ian made the creek rise and about 25% of the bridge is free-floating with no dirt underneath to support it. By early 2026, the plan is to rip out the whole bridge and rebuild the culvert underneath it. The process will cost millions of dollars and take an entire year. I’ve never had to wait more than 30 seconds to cross that bridge, so I think the cure may be worse than the status quo. 

We need a plan to improve school traffic in and out of Hagerty High School. Can you work with Seminole County to propose a plan to provide access through Old Lockwood?

Will that work? I dunno. I think what would help is a roundabout at Arrowroot so kids can sling around the bend and people get out of there faster. 

Why do you not support signing a proclamation supporting water conservation for the CIty of Oviedo?

Question for Megan Sladek

Perhaps this question was actually meant for everyone but me? Here’s my answer anyway:

Because I’d rather do things that make a difference. No one on Council is more into water conservation than me, and there are not three votes to take more proactive measures to push conservation. When the rest of Council declined to escalate water rates as much as I proposed, I accepted that they didn’t value conservation as much as I did and went a little rogue, signing my name to letters telling some of the highest water users in the city that their use was not in line with their neighbors. I suppose I could proclaim that I wish we’d conserve more, but they’re empty words without action. So I just went with action, because the only person whose enthusiasm for water conservation I can control is me. 

What will you do to help prevent more damage from hurricanes that are results of the land being built on? 

There is nothing we can do about that. We cannot prevent people from using the property rights they already have. More things will be built. More impervious surface will come. What I will continue to do is point out to Oviedo residents that ROADS are a bigger culprit than building footprints. We have data on how much impervious surface exists in Oviedo, and over 75% more area is paved over in roads than is used in building footprints. This doesn’t even include the driveways of the houses. When we build roads, we clear-cut incredible amounts of land and do unspeakable damage to the environment. This is one of many reasons why I am glad Oviedo has shifted to a focus on moving people, not cars. We can expect to see a lot more efforts to make it feel safe to walk and bike in the years to come and fewer efforts to widen roads. Widening roads means more stormwater, less aquifer recharge area, and fewer trees. Roads are the villains. 

Natalie Teuchert, 33, is running unopposed and will be automatically elected for Oviedo City Council Group 1. She’s lived in Oviedo for more than 20 years and has served on the Oviedo City Council since her election in 2021, then elected as deputy mayor by her colleagues in 2024.

She’s one of the business owners of The Wedding Barn, a family-owned event venue, and received her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Florida State University in 2015. Her prior work experiences include Waste to Energy Engineer at Babcock & Wilcox, Component Engineer in Fluid Systems at Siemens Energy, Process Engineer at Mitsubishi Power and Mechanical Engineer at HRST, Inc.

According to her website, Teuchert’s campaign focuses on advocating for controlled growth, uplifting underserved communities, protecting the Seminole and Oviedo rural boundary, supporting small businesses, supporting education, and encouraging the next generation to get involved in the community.

According to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections, Natalie Teuchert’s campaign finances show $200 in monetary contributions, $0 in in-kind contributions and $179.10 in total expenditures & distributions.
 
Oviedo City Council members are responsible for: 

-Establishing policies
-Managing growth and land use
-Adopting an annual budget and tax rate
-Setting water rates
-Wastewater rates and other fees and charges for City services
-Adopting local laws and ordinances and hiring
-Overseeing the City Manager

Voter questions

So many trees have been removed for road projects (Broadway widening) and re-done retention ponds (by Lawton Chiles Elementary School) but I haven’t seen any new trees or plants being planted. What is the plan, and are you making sure to use only native trees and plants? 

There is a landscape plan to put Florida Friendly trees in the medians in these areas. It is the last part of the project and just hasn’t gone in yet. In general, we do have city tree requirements that we just updated in our Land Development Code that requires Florida Friendly landscaping, tree replacement, and a certain percentage of low-water-usage plants for new developments.

Along State Road 434 we see many road kill animals, especially near the Black Hammock area. Can we plan for an animal pass-over/under in this area to protect the wildlife that is slowly being forced out of their habitats? 

This is primarily a county/FDOT question, but I’m in favor of helping the wildlife when we can, whether that be signage, safer crossings, etc. 

Is S.R. 434 going to be widened between S.R. 417 and Mitchell Hammock Road? How do you plan on handling that in a way that’s not disruptive to the area? 

Currently no plans for that but that is a county and FDOT question. 

I think we have enough buildings for the roads we have. We have grown enough and are risking losing the quality of life we have had. I have lived in the same house since 1998 and it makes me sad the direction this town is going. What’s the limit for Oviedo’s growth? What’s “enough” for you? 

Our state government does not allow cities to close the door to growth. We are required to develop comprehensive plans that accommodate population projections set by the state. That said, there’s a common misconception that Oviedo is growing at an alarming rate. While our population did double over a 10-year period, that rapid growth has since stabilized. Over the past several years, we’ve seen a modest growth rate of just 0–2%.
I worked closely with the rest of City Council to adopt a comprehensive plan that preserves the character of our suburban neighborhoods while directing higher density toward our core areas. Residents should expect most future growth in the Water Tower District [old downtown area] and around the [Oviedo] Mall area, while our established neighborhoods remain largely unchanged in their zoning.
My greatest concern about excessive growth in Oviedo lies with the actions of the State Legislature. Recent bills such as Senate Bill 180 and the Live Local Act have reduced local control over growth decisions. These laws override local authority and mandate future development in areas that are not always supported by existing infrastructure. State officials have removed and are still filing legislation to remove many of the safeguards that allow local communities like ours to manage growth responsibly.

What are your plans to improve traffic flow and road capacity? 
During my first two terms, I’ve supported the approach of doing as much as possible with the resources we have. That’s why we’ve focused on high-impact, lower-cost improvements—such as adding turn lanes at key intersections and creating cross-connecting roads to strengthen our grid system.
A major success this past year was transitioning Oviedo to a mobility fee. By moving from impact fees to mobility fees, we’ve unlocked a new funding source for transportation projects without adding any burden to taxpayers. In the past, those mobility funds went directly to the county; now, they stay here in Oviedo, allowing us to fund larger transportation projects from our own mobility plan.
As a council, we’ve also shifted our perspective from focusing solely on roads to looking at transportation more holistically. Our goal isn’t just to move cars—it’s to move people, whether they’re using scooters, e-bikes, or other modes of travel. Our 20-year mobility plan reflects that vision, including numerous trail projects that will give residents safe and accessible options to get around the city by any means of transportation. 

Not all development is good development. There seems to be no strategy to what I see being built in Oviedo and with the troubling economy, tariffs and continued strain on homeowners. I don’t see a strong approach to diversifying the tax base. Many of the businesses I have seen open are struggling and may very well close soon. What is the plan? 

Council has control over zoning, land use, and where density is allowed—but much of what you’re referring to depends on the market and private development. This was a major discussion during our comprehensive plan process. I supported adding more mixed-use areas within commercial zones because it helps small businesses by bringing customers closer to them. It also creates walkable, vibrant communities where people can live, work, and dine all in one area. As a small business owner myself, I’m always focused on supporting our local entrepreneurs and will continue to vote for policies that help them thrive.

Why does it seem like speeding in neighborhoods isn’t enforced? Do we not have enough of a police budget to handle it? 

Our police department is funded and working hard to keep Oviedo safe. Oviedo PD has performed over 15,000 traffic stops in fiscal year 24’/25’. Any time we are made aware of a specific area of concern we send out patrols. 

Lockwood needs repair. Bad potholes between McCullough and the schools. You either have to suffer riding on the potholes or go into the other lane partially or go into the bike lane. It is unpleasant and dangerous. What is your plan for a more permanent solution? 

Lockwood is getting repaved this month!

The section of Broadway between Oviedo Boulevard and Reed Road is poorly maintained. The grass is cut poorly when it’s cut and it usually looks terrible. The landscape company is doing a very poor job and needs to be replaced. Who is responsible for the maintenance: the City or the County?

The county maintains 419. The city has an interlocal agreement to take care of 426. We prefer to do our maintenance in house for this reason. 

Why won’t the city rezone certain residential neighborhoods to allow for smaller, more affordable homes to help alleviate the homelessness issue in Oviedo?

We have made updates in our comprehensive plan to allow for more housing. We have also recently allowed for ADUs to help create more affordable market supply. I guess my answer is that the city will and has rezoned areas to allow for more affordable homes. It’s up to the private market to come in and build them. 

Why are local park entrances locked from the public during certain times like OSC and Shane Kelly Park? In other areas where I’ve lived this is not the case, I would understand better if these were private parks, but they’re owned by the city and should be available for residents to use. Can you change that?

Our parks are open from dawn to dusk. They are closed overnight for security and maintenance purposes.

What is going on with the Magnolia Street bridge? I moved to Oviedo in 2023 and it was still barricaded off and under construction exactly how it is now. I pass by it a lot and I have only seen workers actually working on it once or twice in the two years I have been here.

The Magnolia Street project is currently out to bid. When we receive the bids back, they will be ranked and a contractor will be selected to move forward with repairs.  

We need a plan to improve school traffic in and out of Hagerty High School. Can you work with Seminole County to propose a plan to provide access through Old Lockwood?

The School Board would have to determine what kind of alterations they would want to make to address this issue. We always work with the county and schools to help when we can. 

What will you do to help prevent more damage from hurricanes that are results of the land being built on? 

This past year, I successfully led the effort to have Oviedo begin funding basin studies. Most Florida cities wait until stormwater systems fail before addressing them. These systems are originally designed to meet code at the time of construction, but there’s often no long-term plan to account for any changes in the water table, storm severity, or increased retention needs decades later.
By funding basin studies, Oviedo is shifting to a proactive approach—examining different areas of the city each year to identify where we need system upgrades or added retention capacity. These studies will not only help us strengthen our infrastructure before problems arise but also position us to secure grant funding for the improvement projects they identify.

Question for Natalie Teuchert

Two years ago, on Facebook, when asked about rezoning some residential areas to allow for cheaper housing to help our homeless neighbors who live near Broadway/Mitchell Hammock, you said you were opposed to it because it would “change the character of Oviedo.” Is turning our backs on people in need the character of Oviedo? Is valuing property more than people the character of Oviedo?

I will always do my best to vote on anything that lowers the cost of housing. Some of the items we vote on have conflicting impacts regarding which way you vote. We can rezone an area and instead of making it affordable it makes it more expensive. I always try to look at all the impacts before making a decision and I always decide based on what I think will help the community the best. The article linked in the question confirms this: “The whole point of our comprehensive plan was we have to accommodate the future growth,” Teuchert said. “Where are we going to put it? Let’s try to keep our neighborhoods as they are and not be a tool in speeding up that kind of growth [by developers]. I don’t want to go and up-zone lower-income neighborhoods and cause them to lose their homes.”

 The thing I value above all is our community. It is not property values. I will always do my best to advocate for the people in our community.