We’re about a month away from the start of a new term in many of our levels of government.

In the coming weeks, current administrations will hold their final meetings, and, in some cases, they also will serve as the last meeting for several of our elected officials.

This Monday, for example, will see the final regular meeting of the current Weirton Council. This means, unless a special meeting is called for some reason before Jan. 1, it will be the last time this group of eight individuals will be gathered to conduct the city’s business.

Only two of the current council will be a part of the next one – Tim Connell and Chris Jonczak. Tim will continue to represent Weirton’s Ward 1, while Chris, as a result of redrawing the ward boundaries along with recent election adjustments, will shift to representing Ward 7.

Monday will be the final time (for now) we will see Harold Miller, Fred Marsh, George Ash, Flora Perrone, Enzo Fracasso, and Terry Weigel sit behind that desk. I say “for now” simply because four years can see a lot of changes, and you never know who might decide to go for another spin in the world of local politics.

This past Wednesday, a swearing in ceremony was held to officially induct the new mayor and council. I’ve known Dean Harris for 23 years now. He was mayor back when I started as a fresh-out-of-college cub reporter in 2001 and assigned to the city beat.

There will be learning curves for a lot of people as people in the city adjust to his leadership style, and he gets used to the changes in municipal government since he last occupied that corner office in the Weirton Municipal Building.

The new members of city council also will face adjustments. The city already has offered at least one orientation session, with the new officials hearing from department heads, but there is a lot to know about the operations of a city. There is also a new level of attention on each of them going forward. They will be expected to respond to the needs of their contituents, have every decision looked at and questioned, most likely stopped while out with family or while running errands (and not all of those will be friendly encounters).

They are now under a magnifying glass most have previously not experienced.

At the county level, the main change will be Tommy Ogden stepping into the role of Hancock County commissioner beginning next month.

Jeff Davis has two more meetings left in his term – Dec. 12 and Dec. 23. I’ve gotten to know Tommy a little over the years as well, both through his previous campaigns for commissioner and his involvement in local politics. As Jeff has during his political career, I think Tommy wants to work for the betterment of the people of Hancock County. I imagine there will be differences in his approach, though, and, again, adjustments will need to be made.

Brooke County will see Allison Cowden step into the post of county prosecutor, taking over for Joe Barki who is moving on to serve as a circuit court judge.

I often say that while people may see serving in a political office as a way to help others, they seldom truly know what they’ve gotten themselves into.

It’s a job like no other, for better or worse. The bottom line, though, is it is a job where you are there to serve others.

To be elected to an office is to be put into a position of trust. You answer to the voters. You are there to serve them, to address their needs, to make sure the services you are tasked with providing are taken care of. You are not there for yourself. Unfortunately, these days, too many people seem to forget that, seeking these posts only as a way to emphasize themselves in the community or use it as a rung on their way to a higher position.

(Howell, a resident of Colliers, is managing editor of The Weirton Daily Times, and can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com or followed on Twitter/X @CHowellWDT)