Craig LaHote awoke Thursday as a Perrysburg Township trustee representing 12,512 residents, but he went to bed as a Wood County commissioner helping lead a population of about 129,000.

“It’s exciting, I’m pleasantly surprised there was a great group of candidates,” Mr. LaHote said after the Wood County Republican Central Committee voted to appoint him to succeed Jim Carter, who is retiring ahead of his term’s 2016 expiration.

Mr. LaHote beat out Theresa Charters Gavarone, Richard Strow, Dave Beaverson, Jim Matuszak, and Terry Krukemyer in the Republican committee’s deliberations. 

Several rounds of voting were required, because if one candidate didn’t receive a majority vote in a given round, then the lowest vote-getter was eliminated and a new voting round was held.

Mr. LaHote, 56, a township trustee since 2004, said it made sense to him to seek the county seat because his trustee term expires this year anyway. His former colleagues, Bob Mack and Gary Britten, have one month to appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy he leaves in the township, or else the appointment falls to Wood County Common Pleas Judge David Woessner.

The three township trustees have had a stranglehold on the board since 2006. 

Mr. LaHote is proud of how the trustees got along after previous trustees didn’t work together. 

He also said it was a major success putting together a township master plan.

“It worked pretty good,” Mr. Britten said. “We didn’t always agree, but we got along and it wasn’t always that way. We had a good mix with all different backgrounds. It will be very strange without him.”

Residents interested in appointment to the five-month vacancy term should consider filing a petition to run for a full four-year term in November, Mr. Britten said, noting he’d have a hard time appointing someone not interested in staying past December.

“After nine years, I think it’s good to open the door to someone new and get fresh ideas,” Mr. LaHote said.

Mr. LaHote will be paid a $65,000 salary as a county commissioner and plans to reduce his working hours at Service Spring Corp. in Maumee to accommodate his new role. He also will stay on committees, but no longer take teaching positions at Owens Community College and the University of Toledo.

Mr. LaHote said clean-water issues, a new pipeline proposal, and the West Nile virus are some of the pressing issues he’ll face as county commissioner. 

Mr. LaHote pledged to campaign door-to-door next year to retain his new seat, and expects to need to meet lots of voters in a presidential election year.

“I have a lot of homework to do,” Mr. LaHote said about his new role. “I think the board has been working well, I want to continue and expand it further.”

Contact Matt Thompson at: mthompson@theblade.com, 419-356-8786, or on Twitter at @mthompson25.

First Published August 3, 2015, 4:00 a.m.