Serving all the communities of the Buckeye Lake Region

Four new council members, new fire chief take oath of office in Buckeye Lake Village


BUCKEYE LAKE – Mayor Peggy A. Wells administered the oath of office to four new village council members and a new fire chief Sunday afternoon in council chambers. All five will assume their new positions January 1.

The four council members were elected November 5, from a field of seven candidates. Two incumbents, Robert Masone M.D. and Doug Poorman D.V.M., did not seek reelection. Two incumbents seeking reelection – Tom Wolfe and Arletta Ruton – finished fifth and seventh respectively.  A fifth challenger, Kelly J. Spangler-Braithwaite, came in sixth.

Certified election results:

John F. Lemmon – 300

Don Cable             – 290

Linda Goodman  – 271

Melissa J. Beard  – 246

Tom Wolfe            – 232

Kelly J. Spangler-Braithwaite – 159

Arletta Ruton        – 115

Wells announced December 28, that she had accepted Fire Chief Clifford L. Mason’s resignation effective at midnight, December 31, 2019.  She wrote, “I am very grateful for his service to our village and stellar leadership of our department.”  At the same time, she announced the promotion of fire inspector Scott Hite to fire chief effective January 1. Wells wrote, “He comes with a strong resume and years of experience and education.”

Mason has been Hebron’s fire chief since July 2018 and was recently named fire chief for the new Refugee-Canyon Joint Fire District which will incorporate the Hebron Fire Department and a new satellite station at 6265 Lancaster Road (Ohio 37) in Union Township. The new station is currently being renovated for a 24/7 crew and will house an engine, medic and grass truck to improve response times in the central and western portions of Union Township, and provide additional emergency personnel township-wide.

Four new council members and a new fire chief took the oath of office December 29, from Buckeye Lake Mayor Peggy A. Wells. From left to right are council member-elect Don Cable; new Fire Chief Scott Hite; and council members-elect Melissa J. Beard, John F. Lemmon and Linda Goodman. Beacon photo by Charles Prince.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *