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Alicia Reese sworn in; commission amends committee resolution after dispute over assignments
Summary
At its organizational meeting, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners publicly swore in Alicia Reese, elected new leadership for 2025 and approved amended committee-designation language after Commissioner Reese objected to a committee assignment and sought a designee clause.
Alicia Reese took the oath of office and was publicly sworn in at the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners' organizational meeting, after which commissioners elected their 2025 leadership and passed an amended resolution that allows commissioners’ "appropriate designees" to serve on certain boards.
The swearing-in was performed by Judge Lehi Rich Moore of the Hamilton County Court of Appeals. Afterward, the board held nominations: Commissioner Driehaus was nominated and approved as president for 2025; Stephanie Summer Adumas was nominated and approved as vice president; and Leslie Hervey was named clerk of the board. The votes were conducted by roll call and carried unanimously for each of those nominations.
Why it matters: the ceremony and the housekeeping votes set the board’s leadership and its approach to representing the commission on outside boards for the coming year. A substantive dispute during the meeting also changed how the commission will list representation on one regional workforce board, a matter that briefly stalled the reorganization agenda.
Discussion and amendment: Commissioner Alicia Reese objected to language in the resolution that listed her as the commission representative on a workforce-development board (referenced in the meeting as the SWOR* board). Reese said she had not agreed to that appointment, argued that some listings on the committee resolution were inconsistent with her filings under the Ohio Revised Code and asked that the committee be removed from her name or that a designee be allowed to serve instead. Reese said, "The only thing you have is your name," and asked that the record reflect which committees she had agreed to serve on under the Ohio Revised Code.
Commissioners debated whether that particular board should be required to have an elected commissioner present; Commissioner Driehaus and others said the board historically has had a commissioner representative and that the committee workload is shared. To resolve the impasse, Driehaus moved to amend the resolution so the "now therefore be it resolved" language would read that the "following commissioners or their appropriate designees are here to serve on these various committees." The amendment was seconded and then the amended resolution was approved by roll call vote.
Formal action: The board passed the amended resolution designating commissioners (or their appropriate designees) to serve on committees, councils and boards for 2025. The meeting record shows the amendment was moved, seconded and approved by the commission.
Ending: With the procedural dispute addressed and the amended language adopted, the commission completed the remainder of the reorganization steps and moved on to its regular agenda.
