Race for law director spot underway
ZANESVILLE — Two local attorneys will be facing off in the race to become the city's next law director in the election on Nov. 3.
Incumbent Law Director Scott Hillis and 5th Ward Councilman David Tarbert will be going against each other to win the job that serves as the legal assistant for all city officials, represents the city in litigation, reviews contracts and city legislation and prosecutes misdemeanor crimes.
Law Director Scott Hillis, a Democrat who graduated from law school at Case Western Reserve University, has held the position of law director for the last 16 years, and currently practices law out of the Law Office of Scott Hillis on Market Street downtown. He served a two-year term as an at-large city councilman before becoming law director. His primary focus is on domestic relations, juveniles, personal injury and governmental law.
Councilman David Tarbert, a Republican who graduated from law school at Ohio State University, has practiced law for the past 19 years as a partner at Kincaid, Taylor and Geyer on North 4th Street downtown. He is the city's longest-tenured Republican elected official, serving as the 5th Ward Councilman for 19 years, a position for which he will not seek re-election. He has worked in areas of economic development, tax financing and union negotiations, and he cites his experience reviewing and revising ordinances and resolutions on city council as major factors in his preparedness for the position.
Here are their thoughts on some issues.
Why are you seeking the law director position?
Hillis: He cited his accomplishments on the job as the major factor behind his continuing interest in the position. He cited one major accomplishment as his experience arguing in front of the Ohio Supreme Court, an incident that allowed the city to affirm past convictions despite a filing error prior to his tenure that could have left such convictions in jeopardy. Hillis also noted his frugality through the fact that his office has worked below its budget for the past 15 years. Another accomplishment he cited as a proud moment was the elimination of a secretary position from his office for the sake of adding a victims advocate, which he claimed has allowed victims in the city to have access to proper legal support while making interaction with local police more seamless.
Tarbert: He cited his initial disinterest in politics as a major factor behind his current bid for the law director position. After being disillusioned with local government almost 20 years ago, he said he decided his only option was to seek elected office for the sake of changing it from the inside. For the past 19 years as a councilman, he said his work has allowed the city to create a reasonable budget and navigate through economic crises, especially in the time when the recession left the city crippled. One of his primary arguments for the necessity of change in the law director position revolves around Hillis' prior conviction for one count of soliciting a prostitute and one count of trespassing, which Tarbert said has made Hillis' ability to communicate objectively with local law enforcement unsustainable and a hindrance on the city's progress.
What is the biggest problem facing the city?
Hillis: He said the decay of once prosperous neighborhoods are the city's biggest problem, and added that the solution to such a problem must be realistic and grounded in practicality in order to be successful. He said his own personal experience after his conviction have offered him a chance to understand the deeper issues surrounding the problem of prostitution in the area. While task forces may sound like the best option, he said, the monetary difficulties of sustaining a successful program without simply forcing the problem to a different neighborhood requires a multi-faceted approach. He also said city council must work with the law director's office to create legislation that will allow such task forces to exist, while at the same time establishing victim outreach programs to work to aid prostitutes and drug-users in finding help, thus solving the root of the problem. He cited his own formation of the city's victims advocate as a first step in addressing the issue, and he said he plans to continue this effort if elected.
Tarbert: He said the complete decline of certain once vibrant neighborhoods in the city are its biggest challenge. Families leave once crime becomes a problem, Tarbert said, and this leads to absentee realtors, vacant homes and an influx of drugs and prostitution. Tarbert said the city needs a plan to demolish, rehabilitate and build up problematic neighborhoods, with a more proactive process for seeking grants an important factor in paying for such work. He cited a need for a quicker and more responsive relationship with the city code enforcement office, which works to manage vacant properties in the city, as a necessity to alleviate the problem of blighted areas. In addition, Tarbert said task forces in the police department that could focus on broader social issues would be a major focus of his if he is elected, adding that the current system seems to move problems from one area to another without fully solving the underlying issue.
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