OVIEDO, Fla. – UPDATE: Incumbent Dominic Persampiere wins the Oviedo mayoral race by 67.44 percent of the vote as of 7:57 p.m.
The city of Oviedo will decide Tuesday whether to keep its mayor.
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Dominic Persampiere, 53, has served as the mayor of Oviedo, a city that has grown to a population of about 40,000, since 2010.
His opponent is Charlene Larney, who, like Persampiere, is a Realtor.
The recent, rapid growth of the city, which has a new hospital and several restaurants, and traffic are the main issues in the race.
“The traffic is not necessarily coming from within Oviedo,” Persampiere told the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s coming from around Oviedo.”
The University of Central Florida is located nearby, bringing motorists through the city.
He said projects that are widening County Road 419 and state roads 426 and 434 will help with the city's traffic flow.
Larney said the plan behind the growth is the problem.
"I am a longtime resident of Oviedo," Larney, 52, wrote on her Facebook page. "I care about our city, people, the environment and wildlife. I believe in smart growth that leaves green space."
She said the city's approach has not been environmentally friendly.
"There is no need to build and take down every tree and cover the city with concrete," Larney wrote. "It's unfortunate we can't have a do-over from what's been done, but I do want to make sure our citizens and children stay and feel safe in our community."
Meanwhile, Councilman Steve Henken is running against attorney Patrick Westerfield in the city's council Group 1 race.