Both Belpre and Marietta city councils welcomed new members at the start of the new year. With plenty to accomplish, the fresh perspective alongside veteran leadership will be important.

Voters in our region made their choice based on who they believed would work hardest to move us all forward while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. That’s a big responsibility for those who will be serving.

“Right now, we have several large projects in the works, so we’re looking forward to continuing our collaborative efforts as a city and council and all of our departments working to get those projects finished,” said Belpre Mayor Susan Abdella.

Marietta Mayor Josh Schlicher had similar sentiments: “Happy New Year. I just want to say it’s an honor to swear you all in and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. There are a lot of projects in the pipeline – a lot of things that are going to be completed in 2026, and probably a few that will carry over into 2027.”

That’s the key, really. The work these elected officials do now will lay the foundation for what is to come in 2027 and beyond.

We look forward to watching them work together to transparently and responsibly come to agreements on what is best for their constituents, as we count on them to get the job done for all of us.