Carol Hehr is now the mayor of Woodsfield after being sworn into office last week.

The village was left without a mayor after Michael Ricer handed in his letter of resignation last month. Ricer, who had held the office since being elected in 2019, previously said he chose to resign due to a number of “personal conflicts” including the opposition to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s roadway safety improvement project.

Village Council unanimously appointed Hehr to the position during its Sept. 6 meeting. She was sworn into office on Thursday at the Monroe County Courthouse.

Hehr has been on council for more than 20 years and said she felt it was time to step into a new role.

“I did run in the past but I was defeated, and it’s just something I’ve wanted to do. I have a passion for this village even though I’m not a lifelong member. To me it was the next step after being in council for so long. I wanted to try my hand at this, and the opportunity came up and I was happy to accept it,” she said.

While filling the seat, Hehr said she plans to help open the lines of communication between residents and council, providing transparency and building trust in the village.

“I think one of the most important things is to build trust in the village government and try to pull the community together. I think that’s probably one of the most important things I’ll be working on,” she said. “I want to encourage all residents that have any comments or concerns to contact a village council person, contact me or come to a meeting.”

Hehr said she will continue to focus on property maintenance to aid the village in looking its best.

“Our previous mayor also was passionate about that. I’ll be working with the police department to enforce the ordinances and try to encourage residents to clean up their properties. We do have a beautiful town and with the help of everyone here in the village we can keep it that way,” she said.

“It’s all about respect. It’s about respect for yourself, respect for your neighbors and respect for the village, so I’m hoping people will keep up their properties and keep this village looking nice.”

Hehr is a member of the Monroe County land bank, which aims to improve local communities by acquiring and razing dilapidated and abandoned buildings throughout the county. She said there are two properties in the village set to be demolished this year.

“Hopefully that’s just the beginning because it’s a wonderful project. It doesn’t cost the residents anything to have it torn down and they can keep the property if they want to,” she said.

Also, Hehr has been attending the Monroe County Ohio Builds meetings through which she plans to submit a downtown revitalization project for funding. She said there are a lot of constructive things happening in the village.

“We have the Ohio Department of Transportation (safety improvement) project where right now it’s an inconvenience for many people and many businesses while the town square is torn up but it’s definitely going to be an asset and it’s going to beautify our town in the end,” she added.

Hehr has a positive outlook on the village’s future. In the last couple months, the village has welcomed two new council members and is looking to fill a third vacancy – left by Hehr since moving into her new role. She said it is a “new beginning” for the village.

“There will be a lot of good ideas, I’m sure, and enthusiasm. It’s a new page in the village,” she said.

Hehr’s term ends in December 2023. In the meantime, she is unsure if she will run in the next election. She said she will use her time spent in office over the next year to decide.

The village is currently looking to fill an opening on council with a term expiring December 2025. Letters of interest are being accepted until noon on Sept. 16. Council plans to fill the seat during its next meeting set for 5 p.m. Sept. 19.