Alicia Reece is the new president of the Hamilton County commissioners. The board voted Thursday to grant her the position, which rotates among the three members.
Reece says she’s excited to lead the board in 2023.
"I look forward to continuing to roll up our sleeves and get to work; all three of us are very aggressive," Reece said. "And we are excited about 2023 and what's going to be One Hamilton County."
The commission president presides over board meetings and sets the agenda for staff meetings. Commissioner Denise Driehaus will serve as vice president.
Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas was sworn in for a second term Thursday after winning re-election in November.
Reece announced she'll give a State of the County Address on Wednesday, January 25, at 5:30 p.m. at Memorial Hall (1225 Elm St).
Interim prosecutor named
One of the board's first actions of the year was to appoint Mark Piepmeier as interim county prosecutor. He'll take over temporarily when current prosecutorJoe Deters is sworn in as an Ohio Supreme Court Justice Saturday.
Piepmeier is a chief assistant prosecutor in the Criminal Division. County Administrator Jeff Aluotto says he’s been with the county since 1981.
"He served as special prosecutor for several different counties in Ohio, including Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Green, Scioto and Warren," Aluotto said. "He was appointed as lead special prosecutor for the 1993 Lucasville prison riot in Scioto County. So he has a tremendous wealth of experience both here locally as well as throughout the state."
The task of choosing a permanent replacement falls to the Hamilton County Republican Party’s central committee. Only two people have applied for the job: former juvenile court Judge Melissa Powers and common pleas Judge Robert Goering. State law requires a decision between five and 45 days after Deters steps down.
