New mayors take over in two Warren County cities

Mark Messer, left, takes the oath of office as the new mayor of Lebanon from City Attorney Mark Yurick during Wednesday's reorganization meeting of Lebanon City Council. Messer has been a council member for the past 10 years with the last eight years as the city's vice mayor. ED RICHTER/STAFF

Mark Messer, left, takes the oath of office as the new mayor of Lebanon from City Attorney Mark Yurick during Wednesday's reorganization meeting of Lebanon City Council. Messer has been a council member for the past 10 years with the last eight years as the city's vice mayor. ED RICHTER/STAFF
Local News
By Ed Richter
Dec 3, 2021
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Two of Warren County’s newest mayors were sworn in to office Wednesday night in Lebanon and in Mason as part of their respective council reorganizations.

In Lebanon, City Council members chose to elevate Vice Mayor Mark Messer as the city’s new mayor. Messer took the oath of office as the city’s mayor, succeeding former Mayor Amy Brewer, who opted to step down after 32 years in office, with the last 20 years as mayor.

Messer has been a member of Lebanon City Council for the past 10 years and served as the city’s vice mayor for the last eight years under Brewer.

ExploreWarren County levies pass; some communities see leadership changes

Council selected fellow councilman Adam Mathews as the city’s vice mayor. Mathews, who was elected to his first council term in 2019, has pulled petitions to run for state representative for the 54th Ohio House District seat in the May 2022 primary election.

Also sworn in as council members were Mike Cope, Brad Lamoreaux, Matt Sellers and Scott Norris. Cope was appointed last summer to complete the unexpired term of former council member Krista Wyatt. He has been elected to a four-year term of his own.

In Mason, Barbara Spaeth was unanimously selected as the city’s mayor Wednesday night.

Barbara Spaeth, right, takes the oath of office as the mayor of Mason from Warren County Common Pleas Judge Timothy Tepe on Wednesday. After a two-year hiatus, Spaeth was re-elected to a third four-year term on Mason City Council. Her fellow council members unanimously selected her as mayor during council's reorganization meeting. Spaeth previous served as council member from 2011 to 2019. ED RICHTER/STAFF

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Spaeth, who previously served two four-year terms as a Mason City Council member from 2011 to 2019, served as vice mayor from 2015 to 2019. She was re-elected to a new four-year term on council last month.

Councilwoman Diana Nelson was unanimously selected as the city’s vice mayor. Nelson was originally appointed to a council seat in January 2015 and elected to a full four-year term in November 2017. Last month, she was re-elected to a new four-year term.

The selection of Spaeth and Nelson marks the first time that women will serve as mayor and vice mayor, Mason city officials said.

Also sworn in as council members were incumbent Councilman Ashley Chance and newly-elected Mark Haake.

Chance was originally appointed to a council seat in September 2015 and elected to a full four-year term in November 2017 before being re-elected to a new term last month. Haake was elected to his first full term on council last month.

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Ed Richter has been a working journalist for 38 years, with the last 34 years working in various capacities covering Butler and Warren counties as a reporter and an editor. Richter covers local news and governments in Warren County focusing on Springboro, Lebanon, Franklin, Carlisle and Waynesville.