Officials take oath of office WATCH THE VIDEO
Representing four different areas of government, four officials took their oaths of office Thursday night at the Hi-TEC Center in Hillsboro, to represent Highland County constituents.
Republicans Jeremy Shaffer, Highland County Commissioner; Cliff Rosenberger, Ohio's 86th House District Representative; David Daniels, Ohio's 17th District Senator; and Bill Fawley, Highland County Auditor, were each elected during the Nov. 2 general election.
Ayres said that she could not remember a time when a father swore his son into office, as she introduced Jeremy and Roger Shaffer. Ayres said according to the Ohio Revised Code, any office-holder can conduct the swearing-in. Roger Shaffer is the president of the Lynchburg Village Council.
Jeremy Shaffer was emotional as he thanked his family for their support in his political endeavors, from his first bid for office, just out of high school, for a township trustee position, to the office of the mayor of Lynchburg, and to his recent election to the Highland County Board of Commissioners.
When Daniels was sworn in, he said that he is continually humbled by his constituents and the people that he serves. While the state has a tough year ahead in 2011 when it comes to creating the biennial budget, he said that he will continue to represent Highland County as fairly and honestly as he can. He said that when he was first elected as the 86th District Representative, he used to say that he had one of the most diverse districts, in that Clinton County had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state, Pike County had one of the highest and Highland County was in the middle. For a good portion of 2010, Clinton, Highland and Pike counties had the top three highest unemployment rates in the state. Now, as he moves on to represent the 17th Senate District - which he said is the size of Connecticut - he is excited to confront the new challenges that he will face.
Rosenberger thanked his predecessor, Daniels, calling him a mentor and saying that the 86th District could not have asked for a better representative and that he had learned a lot from his example. Rosenberger said that he felt the need to speak of Bill Horne, his Democratic opponent for the seat who passed away in early December. Rosenberger said Horne elevated the race with intelligence and dignity, and he hoped that everyone's thoughts and prayers were with the Horne family during the holiday season.
Highland County Juvenile and Probate Court Judge Kevin Greer, who swore in Rosenberger, Daniels and Fawley, commended Rosenberger, saying only a person of great character would make such a statement about his political opponent. While Rosenberger still has a lot to learn and prove, he said, there is great potential.
Greer also commended the incumbent Highland County Commissioners, Tom Horst and Shane Wilkin. Greer said that the commissioners have had two years of tough decisions to make, and that no one can say that they have backed down from making the hard decisions, which have benefited the county and kept the finances within the budget. Greer also said that Fawley deserved recognition for his role in keeping the budget balanced.
Fawley was sworn into his sixth term as county auditor, and thanked voters for their continued support. Ayres said that Fawley received 82 percent of the vote during the general election.
In concluding the event, Ayres thanked all of the elected officials and voters who were in attendance, and said that the coming election year was also a big one for Highland County. Ayres asked if was anyone who is interested in seeking public office - particularly the office of Hillsboro mayor - to contact the central committee.
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