WILMINGTON — The Clinton County Board of Elections (BOE) has officially adopted Jan. 2, 2019 as the anticipated starting date for its move to the Annex Building on Nelson Avenue.
“As long as all requirements from the Ohio Secretary of State have been met for the 2018 federal and state General Election, we will start the move on Jan. 2, 2019 and anticipate having the move completed by Jan. 31, 2019,” states a letter from the Clinton County BOE.
The BOE’s letter is in response to a letter to them this month from the Clinton County commissioners which stated, in part, “Our preference, for many reasons, would be for the move to occur this month as previously agreed.”
But the commissioners’ letter also stated, “To the extent your office is unable to move in July, this Board [of county commissioners] is reluctantly willing to consider a delay in relocating your office.”
The BOE later voted 4-0 to provide commissioners the January time frame for moving out of the courthouse to South Nelson Avenue.
Clinton County Commissioner Kerry R. Steed said Monday there now is “a firm date in sight.” In addition, he said he hopes work crews can have their “hammers flying the very next day” after the move is completed in order to convert the current BOE space into the new location for the Adult Probation Department of the Clinton County Court of Common Pleas.
In June, BOE Director Shane Breckel told commissioners he and the BOE deputy director had been working toward a July move, but a number of factors had made a July relocation no longer workable.
On Monday, BOE Deputy Director Jay Peterson said they have formed a committee comprised of staff and board members to coordinate the logistics of the move, with a meeting scheduled for next week.
The BOE is looking forward to the move, added Peterson.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
