(11-23-22) On Monday, November 21, 2022, The Mercer County Republican Central Committee met to perform one of the most important statutory duties delegated to the Central Committee by Ohio Law.

Ohio Revised Code 305.02 (A) (B) and (C) state:
If a vacancy in the office of county commissioner, prosecuting attorney, county auditor, county treasurer, clerk of the court of common pleas, sheriff, county recorder, county engineer, or coroner occurs more than forty days before the next general election, the vacancy shall be filled as provided in Ohio Law.

When a vacancy occurs in a county elected office, the county central committee of the political party that nominated the last occupant of the office as a candidate for that office, for the current term, shall appoint a person to hold the office and to perform the duties thereof until a successor is elected and has qualified.

Former Mercer County Prosecutor Matthew K. Fox, who won election on November 8th, as Mercer County Common Pleas Judge, has recently resigned to accept a position to serve as Magistrate for the Court of Common Pleas until he takes office as Common Pleas Judge, General Division on January 1, 2023. His resignation created a vacancy in the elected office of County Prosecutor.

Republican Party Chairman, Robert J. Hibner (Coldwater), called the regular and special meeting to order. Forty-seven members and guests were present. Sammi Timmerman, Secretary, called the roll of Republican Central Committee members. Erin Minor (Ft. Recovery), currently serving as assistant prosecutor, was nominated and appointed by unanimous vote to fill the vacancy of Mercer County Prosecutor.

The Mercer County Commissioners recently had appointed Erin Minor as the Interim Prosecutor until the Republican Central Committee met on Monday evening. ORC 305.02 (C) states that not less than five nor more than 45 days after a vacancy occurs, the county Central Committee must meet to make an appointment.

The Attorney General has ruled that the county central committee is a public body subject to ORC Section 121.22, the “Sunshine Law.” A meeting of the central committee to make an appointment of a person to fill a vacancy in a county office is a “meeting” subject to the Sunshine Law.

Assistant Prosecutor, now Prosecutor Minor, has served the prosecutor’s office since March 2019 and worked the felony criminal docket. Prior to that, she served as the attorney for the Village of Fort Recovery. Erin also previously was an attorney for Thompson Hine LLP, served as a Law Clerk for the Mercer County Common Pleas Court and was an attorney with Judy A. Koesters,, Attorney at Law (Coldwater). Erin and her husband Matt are small business owners.

Erin obtained her Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School and a Master’s Degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Erin earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Dayton.

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