LEXINGTON — Keith Bacin has been attending Lexington village council meetings for years.
Soon, he’ll be on the other side of the table.
Judge Brent Robinson of the Richland County Common Pleas Court swore in several Lexington area officials Wednesday night.
Some, like Bacin and fellow village council member Aaron Hoptry, have never held public office.
“My wife has been my support. She’s the one who pushed me into this,” Bacin said.
“I’ve been going to council meetings for five years. My dad always taught me if you’ve got a problem, you got to bring it up, you’ve got to address it.”
Bacin said he’s ready to be a listening ear for residents’ concerns. But he’s most enthused about moving Lexington forward.
“I see where this village is going and I’m excited to be a part of the growth,” he said.
Robinson also swore in Wynn Kearns, who has sat on council since 2002. According to Robinson, every elected official must take an oath of office prior to the start of their term, even incumbents.
Other public officials who were sworn in include the village of Lexington’s incoming mayor, Bob Jarvis, and Luke Wittmer, the newest Troy Township Trustee.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity. January 8th is my first meeting, so I’m ready to get going,” said Wittmer, a first-time public official.
“I thought was a good time to give back to my community. So that’s why I ran.”
Brian White, the outgoing mayor of Lexington, also attended the ceremony. He said it felt good to watch his successor take the oath of office.
“Leaving office is very bittersweet,” said White, who served 18 years on village council prior to his time as mayor.
“It’s been a really great four years but it’s time to retire.”
White said there are two things he’s most proud of from his time as mayor — keeping the village running during the pandemic and setting the stage for future growth.
“We went through two years of COVID and to do that and continue our services at that peak level that people deserve, that was great,” he said.
“The second piece of that is working with all the residents of the village in the surrounding area on the Comprehensive Improvement Plan. We’ve got that done. We’ve a strategic vision, we’ve got an active transportation plan, we’ve got a Main Street plan. So we’re starting to do projects. I think that was the most fun.”
