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Hernandez sworn in as new Trumbull County commissioner

Staff photo / Brandon Cantwell ... Rick Hernandez was officially sworn in as one of the new Trumbull County commissioners Friday by Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeff Adler. Hernandez stood with his wife of 38 years, Lin, by his side. Hernandez starts as county commissioner Jan. 3.

WARREN — Former Hubbard Township Trustee Rick Hernandez was sworn in to his new job Friday as county commissioner ahead of his Jan. 3 start date, saying it was a “new day” for Trumbull County.

Hernandez was sworn in by Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeff Adler, who also swore him in during both of his terms as trustee.

Hernandez defeated Niki Frenchko in the GOP primary in March. He has served as a Hubbard Township trustee since 2017 and made a run for commissioner in 2022, but was defeated by current Board of Commissioners President Denny Malloy.

He has been a co-owner of Hern Motors since 1986 and a partner of The Hern Brothers Band, deciding to get into his community’s politics amid his fight over landfill and injection wells in his community.

Hernandez was emotional as he recalled some of the trials and tribulations he had to overcome, noting critics and a form of cancer he battled 14 years prior.

“Whether you have a family or not, you have somebody who understands the teardowns and they understand — especially with social media these days, the lies and just the things,” Hernandez said. “They try to bring you down, but we endure. There’s a saying, ‘there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel’. And I’m going to tell you, Trumbull County is at the end of that tunnel.”

Hernandez guaranteed that the new commissioners would work together and not divide, pointing out the amount of division and drama that had taken place over the past several years in the commissioners’ chambers and commending Malloy, who was voted president of the board when he joined it two years ago for the things he had to deal with.

Many of the county’s elected officials and some former ones attended his swearing-in, as he pointed out former seven-year Hubbard Mayor John Darko, former Hubbard Township Trustee Frederick Hanley and county Republican party chair Julia Shutt, who beat Marleah Campbell by a single vote on a second ballot to win the position earlier this month.

Malloy and new commissioner Tony Bernard, who was sworn in Dec. 20 at a private ceremony, were both present, too.

“I believe in my heart that we are going to notice and see some major growth, probably the best growth that we’ve seen in our county in about 50 years is right around the corner,” Hernandez said.

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