YOUNGSTOWN — Michael Ciccone, the newly elected Mahoning County clerk of courts, will fill the position about two weeks early, effective Dec. 26.

The Mahoning County commissioners, all Democrats, appointed Ciccone, a Republican, to fill the position Wednesday during their regular meeting. He will serve in the interim position Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.

Scott Grossen, Mahoning County clerk of courts administrator, said the reason the position had to be filled temporarily is because Clerk of Courts Dan Dascenzo resigned the position effective Dec. 26.

Ciccone defeated Dascenzo in the Nov. 5 election. Dascenzo was appointed Sept. 13, 2023, as clerk of courts and started serving Oct. 1, 2023. He succeeded Democrat Tony Vivo, who retired after 29 years as clerk.

Ciccone attended the commissioners meeting and met with the county commissioners afterward. With him was Jennifer Ciccone, no relation, a Republican who ran against Commissioner Anthony Traficanti in the general election, but lost.

Jennifer Ciccone will be Michael Ciccone’s chief deputy clerk, replacing Kathi McNabb Welsh, longtime chief deputy clerk.

McNabb Welsh, Michael Ciccone and Jennifer Ciccone are all attorneys.

Mahoning County Prosecutor-elect Lynn Maro confirmed Wednesday that McNabb Welsh will be moving over to work for Maro at the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s office. Maro, a Republican, won a close race for prosecutor over Democrat Gina DeGenova in the Nov. 5 election.

McNabb Welsh has worked at the clerk of courts office 30 years, but she also worked in the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office from 1989 to 1994 and also worked a short time in the Akron city prosecutor’s office before that, McNabb Welsh said.

“I feel my career is going full circle, and I’m excited to be going back,” McNabb said of her return to the prosecutor’s office. “I’m very blessed, very lucky.”

Michael Ciccone will be sworn in for the interim clerk of courts position Dec. 24, and he will be sworn in again Jan. 3 for the four-year term he won in the Nov. 5 election, Jennifer Ciccone told reporters after the commissioners meeting.

Jennifer Ciccone said Ohio law required the commissioners to appoint an interim clerk of courts because as of Dec. 26, all of the deputy clerks in the clerk of courts office will no longer be deputized because Dascenzo, who swore them in, will no longer be the clerk.

Michael Ciccone said, “Under Ohio law, the power of the deputy clerks comes from the elected clerk or courts, and I will be doing that by re-swearing in the deputy clerks.”

He said of the clerk of courts office, “It is a very important part of our government, our court system of the county. It is vital to the functioning of the county, and I am looking forward to serving the people of Mahoning County, working with attorneys, the public, the judges of our court system.

“I’m going to ensure we have a very smooth transition and people are served as they should be,” he said.

When asked if he has any plans for changing the operation of the clerk of courts office, he said, “Right now, it’s one step at a time. I have to get into the office and assess the situation there, but I am very honored and looking forward to serving the people of Mahoning County and ensuring that the office continues to run smoothly.”