SOUTH POINT - With 26 years of experience, South Point Mayor William Gaskin can probably teach the Ohio Mayor's Association a few things.

Gaskin will be using his knowledge and experience as the newly appointed president of the Ohio Mayor's Association.

"It's quite an honor," Gaskin said. "I've been the mayor here for 26 years and I've been a part of the mayor's association the whole time."

The mayor's association includes most of the state's 900 municipalities. This includes large cities such as Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Ohio Mayor's Association is a branch of the Ohio Municipal League, of which Gaskin is a past president.

The Ohio Municipal League incorporated in 1952, in a non-profit corporation that serves the interests of Ohio municipal government.

Gaskin said that the mayor's association takes care of litigations for mayors, holds seminars and training to educate them and other workers in village government and keeps them informed of what is going on in Columbus, "so they can do a better job in their home town."

"We do what we can do to help people out," Gaskin said. "We try to keep everyone updated on what's going on in the state."

He said that is the purpose of the mayor's association - to keep everyone informed, educated and up-to-date on what is going on in every aspect of government.

"It helps us. It helps the community," Gaskin said.

- By Catherine Burcham