Mariah Votel was sworn in as the Brown County Recorder on July 8 after former Recorder Amy Declaire, resigned in June for “personal and professional reasons.”
Votel said that she ran for the position in 2008, and was excited that the opportunity became available earlier this summer. After resignation, the vacant seat must be appointed by the local party affiliated with the vacating officeholder within 45 days. Brown County Republican Party Chair Greg Lang said in a previous statement that the job would be posted to the public and resumes accepted for the position.
Votel was selected by the Brown County Republican Central Committee and was confirmed for the appointment on June 29.
“I am honored to serve Brown County, as Recorder it is my responsibility to ensure all land records are safe and organized,” Votel said.
She said that her experiences with the Brown County Republican Party, and most recently, her role as chairman, were among the reasons she was chosen for the position.
She shared her plans for her new role.
“I will continue to keep the office accessible and will make every effort to have more documents available online,” she said. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff for working through the transition of the office with integrity and due diligence.”
Votel is a lifelong resident of Brown County, and graduated from Georgetown Junior/Senior High School. She and her husband of 25 years, Michael, live in Hamersville and have three children. Her father, Mike Layman, held a Bible for Votel’s swearing-in that belonged to her late mother, Pam Layman. Pam worked as a Brown County Deputy Recorder.
Votel will be on the Primary ballot in May 2022, per Ohio State law. The law states that if the resigned official leaves before half of the term is complete, the appointee must be voted upon in the next primary election. She said she will also be on the ballot in 2024.
She said that she wants to be available for anything the public may need.
“I was raised here in Brown County and my husband and I have raised our children here,” she said. “I love Brown County, and believe that we all deserve county officials that will work hard and represent us well.”
