Photo and story by: Randy Lewis

On Thursday, December 16, 2009 at the Middletown City Building council-elect Josh Laubach, Andrew Smith Jr., Dan Picard, and Jim Armbruster will be sworn into office. The third ward seat, in what was the closest race of the November 3, 2009 election to Middletown’s city council, went to Mr. Laubach who beat out incumbent Tony Marconi.

Mr. Smith won the second ward seat over Mr. John Soppanish, the seat is vacated by incumbent Leslie Ford who was unable to run for reelection after a mistake in filling her petition with county. Mr. Smith may have campaigned longer and harder than any other candidate in recent memory, he opened an office on Central Avenue so the citizens would know where to find him most days and nights. He has said that he plans on keeping the office open so citizens can have a direct to him.

Dan Picard won the fourth ward seat over Mr. Paul Nagy. Mr. Picard practices law in Monroe, Ohio at the Picard Law Firm. He graduated from Miami University in 1978 with a B.A., and then on to the University of Dayton were he finished in 1981 with his J.D. The fourth ward seat is vacated by Mr. David Schiavone who chose not to run after a 16 year career on city council.

In the first ward Mr. Jim Armbruster held on to his seat by over taking Mr. Gary Barge; Armbruster was the only incumbent to be returned to his seat on Middletown’s city council. Mr. Armbruster has been a resident of Middletown his entire life graduating from Middletown High School in 1962. He is a local business owner; Armbruster Florist has been serving Middletown and the tri-state area for 64 years.

You can watch Thursday’s Swearing-In Ceremony live on TV Middletown or attend the ceremony in person at the Middletown City Building, lower lever council chambers. Administering of the Oaths of Offices will be Twelfth District Court of Appeals Judge Robert Hendrickson.