by Marty Trese, KnoxPages.com Editor
MOUNT VERNON – The Knox County Board of Elections has postponed a hearing that was set for Thursday morning until Monday morning at 9 a.m. after a Mount Vernon resident filed a complaint challenging the residency requirement for the attorney the local GOP has picked to succeed Chip McConville as City Law Director. Rob Broeren, who has served as assistant law director, moved to a small Mount Vernon apartment just two weeks ago. Broeren’s family lives in Gambier. When asked about his family situation, Broeren said, “we’re working things out.” But if things work out, Broeren told committee members he will not move back to Gambier and that he has established residency in Mount Vernon.
This month local Republicans have been moving into new offices due to the retirement of Municipal Court Judge Paul Spurgeon June 30th. Former prosecutor John Thatcher was nominated by the local GOP committee and appointed by Governor John Kasich to the muncipal court judgeship. McConville was then appointed as county prosecutor and now the GOP is looking to fill the law director’s job with Broeren.
As far as the law director’s duties, Broeren told the GOP central committee city precinct members Monday evening there are two components. He or she prosecutes all misdemeanors of Knox County. Many of those cases are the result of heroin and prescription drug addiction, such as thefts, to fund drug habits. The law director also provides legal advice to the city. Should Broeren be appointed, he says he plans to complete some changes started by McConville. Broeren says he would like the city law director’s office to move to a paperless operation. City Council has recently moved to electronic communications.
Broeren attended Kenyon College and the University of Notre Dame Law School and worked as an attorney at a Washington D.C. law firm before moving back to Knox County to serve as assistant law director for five and a half years and as an assistant county prosecutor for 4 years.
The committee members voted to table taking a vote on Broeren’s appointment until after the Board of Elections hearing.
