MOUNT VERNON — When Knox Countians go to the polls in 2024, a familiar name will be missing from the roster.
Knox County Commissioner Teresa Bemiller has announced she will not seek re-election as commissioner.
“It’s been one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in a long time,” she said. “I am very happy with the things I have been able to be involved in and the accomplishments in the county.”
Bemiller’s 42 years of service began in the Clerk of Courts office in 1979. She was appointed clerk in 1983 and was elected to three four-year terms.
“I was first elected when I was 29 years old,” she said. “I was in awe that I was on the ballot and that the citizens of Knox County elected me to do a job.”
Leaving the clerk’s office, Bemiller had a five-year stint with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office as a customer services manager. In 2000, she was appointed Knox County Metropolitan Housing Authority director.
After 26 years of serving the public, Bemiller won a seat on the Knox County Board of Commissioners in 2008.
A passion for county government
Bemiller is a native Knox Countian and a graduate of Fredericktown High School. When she became commissioner, she vowed to be a full-time commissioner.
“I have never forgotten that. It has guided me. I have kept that promise in all of my positions,” Bemiller said.
“My passion has been county government. I truly care about how we operate on the administrative side and what we do.”
Teresa Bemiller, knox County Commissioner
Referencing Metro Housing’s CDBG, housing, and emergency home repair programs, Bemiller said, “The housing authority gave me a different perspective coming back into county government. It gave me a chance to see what people were like when they were struggling.”
Her reward was when people later told her, “You helped me.”
“I had a perspective that was not the same as my colleagues. I could express an opinion someone else did not have a chance to think about,” she said.
Proud moments
Bemiller has represented Knox County on numerous boards ranging from area development and emergency food and shelter to the Kokosing scenic river and substance abuse.
Projects she is very proud of include consolidating the city and county 911 centers and bringing Knox Area Transit under the county’s jurisdiction. The commissioners now oversee both programs, and Bemiller looks forward to building a new KAT facility.
“One of the most important things was coming in during a recession. We had to cut budgets, but we never closed down, and we never interrupted services,” Bemiller said. “But it’s been nice having the sales tax to put toward improvements.
Bemiller said she is proud of the public-private partnerships forged with groups such as the Knox County Foundation.
“Partnerships helped us do things like the Central school building and the Memorial Building project, projects we maybe couldn’t have put the dollars to work toward without those partners,” she said.
Bemiller has worked with five different commissioners and is proud of the teamwork they developed.
During her time in office, the county has grown, adding human resources and IT departments and hiring Jason Booth as county administrator.
“He is able to get down in the weeds and allow us to be out of the weeds and let us look at the big picture,” she said.
“I feel I am leaving the county in a better position than when I came in.”
“Seeing the fruits of our labor”
Bemiller was a catalyst behind the Knox County Land Bank, formally known as the Knox County Land Reutilization Corp. She and others talked about it long before it came into being.
Members of the Knox County Land Bank board sign a resolution to assume the lease on the 47-acre former Siemens facility. The land bank will then buy the property from Cooper-Cameron. Pictured are, from left, board members Tyler Griffith, Shelley Coon, Teresa Bemiller, Brian Ball, and William Pursel.
“That’s something I am truly proud of, working to make vacant and delinquent properties viable again,” she said. “Taking on the former Siemens campus is something different but rewarding that will benefit the city and the county.
“We are now seeing the fruits of our labor,” she added. “I want to thank Sam Filkins and Jeff Gottke for managing that process.”
Filkins and Gottke are the land bank’s vice president and president.
What’s next?
When Bemiller completes her current term next year, she will have been commissioner for 16 years.
“Sixteen years is a long time. It was a difficult decision, but I think you reach a time when you know it’s time to step back,” she said of her decision not to seek re-election.
Bemiller looks forward to the new KAT building and seeing Heartland Commerce Park continue to develop. She also wants the county to continue on a strong financial footing.
“You’re not just making decisions for today. You have to consider future commissioners. I think you have to say ‘is this a good thing for the future of Knox County, and not just for today,'” she said.
Acknowledging that she is a Republican with a conservative nature, Bemiller said she has never been concerned about whether someone is a Republican or Democrat.
“You have to concerned about everyone and able to represent all people,” she said.
Of her replacement, Bemiller said, “I hope we get a commissioner who truly has a passion for the county and wants to make it more than a one-term situation.”
Numerous life events occurred during her 16-year tenure as commissioner, and Bemiller is grateful for the support of her family and the community.
“It’s been quite the journey,” she said. “It’s changed me a great deal and made me the person I am today.
“I want to thank the public for the confidence they have placed in me over the course of my elected offices – that was truly appreciated,” she added. “I think we have a great county — I have no desire to leave.”
