Dear Editors,

As the current tenures of Belmont County Commissioners Matt Coffland and Ginny Favede are nearing completion, I would like to reflect on what I consider to be among some of the more significant achievements and accomplishments the county has enjoyed during the previous eight years.

A representative sample of the aforementioned include:

In early 2008, the unemployment rate for Belmont County was reported to be hovering around 13.5 percent, but during the eight years since, Belmont County’s rate of unemployment has declined by more than 50 percent, indicating a marked and most impressive improvement.

The United States Department of Commerce recently classified Belmont County, as well as neighboring counties from both sides of the Ohio River, to be among the five fastest growing regions for economic development in the United States.

In 2016, Belmont County’s credit rating was upgraded further by Moody’s Investor Service to AA-3 from its previous A1. which is outstanding, as a result of the county’s “growing tax base and tax revenue trends resulting in healthy (cash) reserve levels.”

During the previous eight years, there have been significant infrastructure upgrades and significant construction projects in the county including: 120 miles of county roads being paved, construction of the Mall Road connector project, St. Clair Commons, significant development north of the Ohio Valley Plaza in St. Clairsville, as well as many others.

Also, the construction of the Senior Services of Belmont County Administrative/Community Building, the renovation and establishment of the Belmont County Sheriff’s Residence Museum, and the current renovations to the Belmont County Courthouse are additional examples of the county’s progress over the past eight years.

In addition, Belmont County’s long-time mega-shopping complex, the Ohio Valley Mall, reportedly had a tenant capacity of 64 percent in 2008, but now enjoys a better than 95 percent tenant/business capacity, including the addition of many impressive new businesses, such as Boscov’s, as well as the mall’s recent renovation, has made the mall even more viable for the present and in the years to come, with the addition of many new businesses in the mall perimeter contributing greatly to the wonderful shopping experience as well. The most encouraging news of the possible construction of an ethane cracker plant in southeastern Belmont County would have an extremely positive impact on the area, if it becomes reality, for decades or more to come.

In addition to Commissioners Coffland and Favede, also serving as Belmont County commissioners during this period have been Chuck Probst and his successor and current incumbent, Mark Thomas. I would like to express gratitude for the aforementioned public officials, as well as numerous others from the private and public sectors, who have contributed to this period of significant economic growth in Belmont County.

Thank you,

Richard Hord

Martins Ferry