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BELPRE -- Bill Locke is a regular presence at Belpre City Council meetings, but for at least the next two months, he'll be there as a member of the municipal legislative body.
Locke was appointed Wednesday to the 1st Ward council seat vacated when Joshua Campbell resigned because he was moving to Columbus for work. Locke, 67, a retired Teamster truck driver, was the only person to apply for the seat, said Kelly Cox, a member of the Belpre Republican Central Committee.
"I'm at all the council meetings," said Locke, adding he and his wife, Karen, enjoy going to "see what's going on." "I just want to help."
Locke has never run for or held elected office. He and his wife are citizen members of the Belpre Parks and Recreation Committee.
The selection was confirmed by Pam Thomas, the Belpre Republican Central Committeewoman for the 1st Ward, Cox said. No other members were eligible to vote on the appointment since the seat only represents the 1st Ward.
"Only central committee electors who can vote for that (office) can vote in that successor process," said Jim Huggins, chairman of the Washington County Republican Central Committee.
If the last meeting in December is canceled as it has been in recent years, Belpre will have just three more regular council meetings in 2019. In January, the seat will be vacant again because Campbell was the only person who filed to run for it in next week's general election and his resignation came after the deadline for write-in candidates had passed..
At that point, Thomas, as the ward's GOP Central Committee, would select a replacement. Locke said he's willing to stay in the role beyond Dec. 31.
"I'm available if they want me," he said.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.