Butler County commissioners were briefed Jan. 7 on plans to secure a countywide role in the nation’s 250th-anniversary (Semiquincentennial) activities in 2026, and the county administrator proposed engaging Travel Butler to champion the effort and setting a preliminary budget of $50,000 to $75,000.

County administrators said the state is asking counties to provide two items before it will recognize a local Semiquincentennial plan: a named county contact to champion the effort and a budget. The administrator said a resolution adopting those elements would need to be passed before the end of the month.

The administrator told the board that Ohio’s planning has already begun under Gov. Mike DeWine’s office and that Butler County’s approach would be similar to local coordination used for other countywide events. “A resolution will need to be passed before the end of the year,” the administrator said during the report. The administrator said staff will meet with a county contact (identified in the meeting as “Tracy”) before the end of the month and will bring a full budget and formal proposal back to the commission.

No formal vote on a resolution or the budget was recorded at the Jan. 7 meeting. Commissioners did not object to the county administrator’s request to pursue Travel Butler as the county’s champion for the Semiquincentennial; the administrator said he will prepare a draft resolution and a detailed budget for the commissioners’ review.

If the commission approves the resolution and budget at a later meeting, county staff said the two items the state requires are (1) a county contact to lead the effort and (2) an identified budget. The administrator estimated $50,000 to $75,000 as an initial funding range but said line-item details would be provided with the formal proposal.

Next steps: the administrator will return to the commission with a formal proposal and a recommended resolution for commissioners to consider before the end of the month.