Eyler eyes retirement after successful commissioner run

For Ray Eyler, serving as a Holmes County commissioner for the past 14 years has been a role that seems to slide smoothly into what Eyler has been about his entire life.

Eyler served his country during his stint in the Navy, worked the lines at Holmes-Wayne Electric, dedicated himself as part of the crew at Holmes Fire District #1, coached youth athletic teams and tackled many roles required to keep the Holmes County government rolling.

Recently, Eyler let it be known this term will be his final one with the board of commissioners, and looking back over his career, he has been part of a lot of important county improvements and events.

“I’ll have 16 years in when I finish up, and I am proud of what I’ve been a part of in serving the people of Holmes County during that time,” Eyler said. “I was brought up in a Christian home, and I figured the good Lord put us on this earth for a purpose, and to me, it was to serve people. That’s something I’ve done my entire life. I’ve always tried to invest myself into serving people of our community and especially the young people.”

Upon his arrival in 2009 to the Holmes County commissioner board, Eyler said the county’s carry-over was struggling to exceed $200,000 that could be used for a rainy-day fund, and he said much of that came only because the Holmes County Veterans Services turned back in a large portion of the county funds directed to the organization.

Eyler also was instrumental in the commissioners working through the Holmes County Landfill issue that saw them eventually shut it down and turn it into a green space for the Holmes County Park District.

He was serving when the Holmes County Fair Board built the new fairgrounds, and in perhaps his final big undertaking for the county, he was part of the board that initiated the construction of the currently under construction Holmes County Health District building.

“It’s taken our board a long time to create a financially stable county government that has a strong carry-over fund every year, but we have all worked hard to be diligent in our spending as a board,” Eyler said. “We got out of a lot of programs that the government doesn’t need to be involved in.”

Eyler’s personality is such that he is one of the people everyone seems to like. His easy-going personality and welcoming smile have helped him make a multitude of friends over time.

Yet when it came right down to making tough decisions as part of the board, he was able to put relationships aside and do what was best for the people of Holmes County.

“You’ve got to look at the whole picture and not just get caught up focusing on one or two things,” Eyler said. “We’re here to help the county, and if you can’t see the whole picture, it’s going to create some problems. There are times when you’re going to step on some toes, even on the toes of people you like and respect, but it comes with the territory of being a county commissioner.”

Eyler said his last day will be Dec. 31, 2025, and there are already several people who have initiated an attempt to run for Eyler’s seat that is up for reelection.

He said having a chance to live, raise a family and work in Holmes County over the many years is something he cherishes. He said when his family moved to Holmes County when he was just 10 years old, he was devastated.

Now he counts that as one huge blessing.

He also said his time serving in the Navy was a blessing because it taught him a great deal about how to handle adversity and face challenges, two things that were quite pertinent to serving as a commissioner.

“You go into the armed forces, you’re going to learn how to be detail-oriented,” Eyler said. “That time really helped prepare me for a lot of things I faced in this capacity.”

He said the other thing the Navy taught him was a sense of loyalty and unity. He said learning how to work together there paved the way for him to figure out how to work together with other commissioners and with the people of Holmes County.

“Our lives aren’t just about us. They are about all of us learning to live together and work together to make life as good as we can for everyone,” Eyler said.

As the light at the end of tunnel serving as a Holmes County commissioner begins to appear, Eyler said he will forever be grateful to the many great people he worked with in the county government and the people he served faithfully with for what will be 15 years.