Tuesday, January 17th, 2023
Laffin to not seek a 12th term in office
By William Kincaid
CELINA - Long entrenched Mercer County Commissioner Jerry Laffin on Monday night announced he will not seek a twelfth term in office.
As such, his 40-plus year tenure as county commissioner will come to an end on Jan. 1, 2025, Laffin said at a Mercer County Republican Party meeting in the Richardson Bretz Building.
Laffin thanked party members for their support over the years, noting he's the longest serving county commissioner in the state.
The lifelong farmer commented on the political transformation of the county, saying when he first took office in 1981, he and the county coroner were the only Republicans in county government. Today, Republicans hold every office.
Lafifin was defeated in his first political race, trying to replace his retiring uncle, Dwight Laffin, as county clerk of courts. Undeterred, Laffin turned his attention to another position. He successfully ran for Washington Township trustee, a position he held for three years.
Prompted by numerous trustees, Laffin later mounted a run for an open county commissioner seat.
A few years back, touching on what he believes to be some of the major accomplishments under his watch as commissioner, Laffin highlighted the commissioners' decision to make community and economic development a full-time department.
"I feel that's been very beneficial to the county. I'm proud of what has happened," he told the newspaper at the time, adding that the county continually has the lowest unemployment rate in the state in part due to the community development office that has brought industry to the area.
The commissioners in the early 1980s also established a revolving loan fund that has loaned nearly $16 million and helped create 1,792 jobs, he said.
The low-interest loans can be used to buy fixed assets such as land, buildings, machinery and equipment and as working capital to expand an existing or start-up business. Except for local infrastructure needs, the loans are repaid to the fund with interest to provide funding for future loans.
Also, working hand in hand with the engineer's office, commissioners during Laffin's time in office have replaced or reconstructed many bridges that were in bad shape, Laffin said.
