OTTAWA, OH (WLIO) - The new and returning mayors of Putnam County were sworn in Thursday evening.
14 mayors across the county from Belmore to West Leipsic met at the Putnam County Courthouse for a swearing in ceremony before beginning their terms next year. This past November election saw a turnout of 62% of voters in Putnam County.
For several of the mayors, 2024 will be their first year in office. One mayor holds the title of longest serving mayor in Ohio history.
"We got some projects going on in town. We have a couple bigger projects that are going to be coming up and we're going to be redoing our Main Street project this year, and that'll be one of our major overtakings. We're going to need a new water plant down the road and there's some things to work with council," said Rick Recker, who is set to begin his 1st term as the mayor of Leipsic.
"We're going to start getting into the grants, we got people to start writing the grants and we're going to try to get the community to start working together and try to improve everything. I hope to get some buildings improved, some buildings built, and try to get a subdivision where we can get more housing because we need it," said Ed Birnesser, the newly elected mayor of Columbus Grove.
"Nature works, to get some ball diamond improvements done, and then last but not least, if we qualify we're going to see if we can get a canoe launch in along the Auglaize River," added Robert Heidenescher, mayor of Dupont.
Mayor Heidenescher is the second longest serving mayor in the history of the United States, just weeks shy of 48 years. He is less than one year away from overtaking the current record.
