Eyler vacates seat as Holmes County commissioner after 16 years

Longtime Holmes County commissioner Ray Eyler’s seat on the county board was recently vacated due to Eyler’s absence from the weekly commissioner board meetings.

According to Ohio state law, county commissioners must attend meetings at least once every 90 days to continue to be eligible to serve.

For the time being, the voting seat at county commissioner’s meetings that was once held by Eyler is now announced as “vacant” when issues are voted upon.

The term “vacant” can refer to many things, but in this case, it refers to the seat of Holmes County commissioner that was vacated by Eyler, who has been suffering through health-related issues for some time.

According to commissioners Dave Hall and Joe Miller, Eyler did his best to commit to serving in his role until his ailing health simply no longer allowed him to get to meetings.

Seeing their fellow commissioner and friend struggle to serve in his role has been heartbreaking for both commissioners, who like most people in the county have nothing but praise for a man who has served in so many local capacities.

“He’s been faithfully serving this county for 16 years as county commissioner,” Miller said. “Ray is one of the kindest people, one of the easiest people to work with that I have ever encountered. He has always been concerned to do the right thing for the people of Holmes County. He doesn’t have an ego, and it was an absolute pleasure to work with him.”

Whether it was serving his country in the Navy, through his longtime employment with Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative, or as a volunteer firefighter, West Holmes School Board member or Holmes County commissioner, Eyler has been one of those people who has always put people first, according to Hall.

“Ray has a legacy of serving others,” Hall said. “He has always had a hand in the leadership of moving Holmes County forward.”

Both commissioners wish Eyler nothing but the best now and are grateful to have served on the board of commissioners with a colleague and friend who has made such a positive mark on Holmes County.

The task of filling the vacant seat now falls on the Holmes County Republican Committee, which will have the objective of replacing Eyler’s seat on the board with someone, more than likely Eric Strouse, who this past spring won the Holmes County Republican commissioners race in a contested election.

In a statement from Rob Hovis, Holmes County Republican Party chairman, the party said, “The Holmes County Republican Central Committee will meet Monday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. to consider voting an appointment to the county commissioner seat held by Ray Eyler until health issues forced him to vacate the seat by operation of state law on Aug. 28.

“Since the voters elected Eric Strouse as the party’s nominee for the new term starting in January for that same commissioner seat, there is a strong likelihood that the Central Committee will vote to appoint Mr. Strouse to complete Mr. Eyler’s unexpired term, which ends in early January, but the committee is not obligated to do that. I am not aware of any other candidates for the appointment.”

The board can recommend Strouse as a replacement, and that recommendation must then be sent to the state level before Strouse can officially assume the remainder of Eyler’s commitment as commissioner.

This same scenario occurred not long ago when Hall himself was elected to serve, and prior to assuming his role on the board, he was placed into service early when then-commissioner Rob Ault moved out of the area.

The commissioners said the process of filling the vacant seat should take place in the near future.