HOCKING HILLS – Logan County Commissioner Joe Antram attended the 2025 CCAO Summer Symposium this week at the Hocking Hills Lodge and Conference Center in Hocking County.
This year, the symposium focused on the County Toolbox: Education, Advocacy, and Leading through Change. County commissioners, executives and council members and county staff came together to discuss pertinent county policy and hear from experts in several areas.
“As secretary of the CCAO Board of Directors, I am proud of the valuable opportunities for learning and networking that the annual Summer Symposium offers CCAO members,” Antram said. “It is crucial that Logan County Commissioners keep current with state-wide policy that directly affects our county’s citizens.”
The symposium began with multiple sessions on property tax law and policies with presentations from State Representative David Thomas, Stark County Commissioner Alan Harold, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus, Lawrence County Auditor Chris Kline and The Buckeye Institute Research Fellow Greg Lawson.
Attendees learned valuable information about Ohio’s current property tax system and had the opportunity to discuss various proposals for reform.
Additional sessions included presentations from host Hocking County on managing tourism and the Ohio REALTORS and The Montrose Group on housing policy. Attendees also learned about managing crucial conversations and the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s impact on county government.
Commissioner Antram also said while there currently is a significant push to re-think how state and federal governments work, the funding policies that are formulated at those levels can negatively affect local and county budgets when they are implemented.
“I took away ideas on how to better communicate with state and federal officials, so they understand the ramifications of their decisions on Logan County citizens. Participation in the CCAO Summer Symposium was a great use of my time because it brought together perspectives on safety, human services and community development from all over the state.
“This sort of networking would be impossible without gathering at this conference.”
For instance, Commissioner Antram was a moderator for a session that featured a panel of experts on policy and how best to approach state administration officials and legislators when updating them on concerns of your community.
“Not only did I learn a lot, but I also shared my perspective on how all county commissioners have a responsibility to check in with their state and federal elected officials on a regular basis to update them on local concerns,” he said.
