After a year marked by tragedy, legal turmoil, and months of uncertainty, the Scioto County Commission is hoping 2026 brings something it has sorely lacked: stability.
Commissioners held a brief organizational meeting Monday to set the board’s leadership and routine business for the coming year—a refreshingly calm contrast to much of 2025.
Last year, the commission operated for months without a full three-member board following the tragic passing of Commissioner Cathy Coleman and the indictment of Commissioner Bryan Davis. That period of disruption left many county matters stalled and fueled public frustration.
On Monday, Commissioners Scottie Powell, Will Mault, and Merit Smith quickly got down to business.
The board unanimously selected Powell as commission chairman. Smith, one of the newest members, joked about the logic behind the choice.
“Since Will and I haven’t been here long, we’re going to continue to stay in that bliss of not understanding anything,” Smith said. “It makes sense to have Chairman Powell.”
Mault quickly agreed.
Commissioners then selected Smith as vice chair. Powell quipped that if experience was the metric, Smith—appointed in late July after Coleman’s death—was the obvious next choice.
“All six months’ worth of experience,” Smith joked.
A Rarely Controversial Topic: Bees
One of the few substantive items on the agenda turned out to be one of the least controversial decisions the board has faced in months: appointing the county’s apiary inspector.
An apiary inspector is responsible for overseeing beekeeping operations, monitoring hive health, inspecting for diseases that can devastate bee populations, and ensuring compliance with state regulations designed to protect pollinators and agriculture.
Commissioner Smith said he and Mault met with Carl Helton and consulted with state officials before making their recommendation.
“There was one other person interested,” Smith said. “Either would have been fine, but we felt it was important to keep the position within the county.”
Helton was unanimously approved—without public comment, protest, or tension. For a commission accustomed to packed rooms and pointed remarks, it was a welcome moment of calm.
Perhaps, as some quietly joked afterward, it was the calm before the storm.
Looking Ahead
Commissioners also voted to keep their regular meeting schedule unchanged. Sessions will continue Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in Room 310 of the Scioto County Courthouse.
Smith said he hopes the year ahead allows the board to refocus on progress.
“I hope as this year goes on that we can move ahead and do a lot of economic and financial progress in the county and get things back into shape,” he said.
Powell echoed that sentiment.
“The past year or so has been tumultuous in terms of this office and these positions,” he said. “I’m excited to have a lot of that behind us now so we can forge forward. We deserve a fresh start, and I’m looking forward to it.”
The meeting stood in stark contrast to last Thursday’s crowded and contentious session, where residents raised concerns about a proposed data center in Franklin Furnace. Powell said he expects those issues—and others—to resurface at the commission’s next regular meeting.
For one morning, at least, county business was quiet, orderly, and almost peaceful.
