T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton is named the board president for 2025 on Tuesday.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Commissioners elected Commissioner J.P. Dutton as its 2025 president.

Each year per Ohio Revised Code Section 305.05, “The board of county commissioners shall organize not later than the second Monday of January of each year, by the election of one of its members as president for a term of one year. The member so elected shall preside at all regular and special sessions of the board. If the position of president becomes vacant during the year, the board shall select one of its members to preside.”

Commissioner Jerry Echemann, who was the board’s president for 2024, relinquished his title to Dutton on Tuesday morning.

After Dutton was declared the board’s president, he made a motion for Echemann to be elected as the board’s vice president.

Echemann then moved to hold commission meetings for 2025 at the Belmont County Courthouse every Wednesday at 10 a.m., which is a change from 9 a.m. when the meetings traditionally have been held.

“I’d like to comment on the motion,” Commissioner Vince Gianangeli said. “I want to thank the two commissioners. As most of you know, I have a special needs child and they want to accommodate me so Gabriella can attend P.A.L.S. in Bellaire and it’s from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. So I can drop her off at 9:30 a.m. and then come to the meeting here at 10 o’clock.”

Echemann added that he appreciates the public’s understanding of the time change and hopes that residents who attend the meetings will be able to continue to do so. He said the switch to 10 a.m. will be made Jan. 15.

Echemann then moved for the commissioners to hold work sessions regularly at 9 a.m. Mondays.

Dutton added that just like the Wednesday meetings, sometimes the Monday meetings will have to be adjusted to accommodate a holiday that falls on a Monday or if the commissioners are not able to attend due to a pre-existing scheduling conflict.

Gianangeli then moved to adopt the resolution to designate Dutton as the official representative and Echemann as Dutton’s alternate to vote at the annual meeting of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio.

According to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio’s website, “The County Commissioners Association of Ohio advances effective county government for Ohio through legislative advocacy, education and training, technical assistance and research, quality enterprise service programs, and greater citizen awareness and understanding of county government. CCAO works within the legal system to stand up for the interests of its members. CCAO often files amicus (Friend of the Court) briefs in lawsuits where legal precedent is likely to be established that could affect the future administration of county government.”