Thomas Hunt, left, was selected among 11 applicants to succeed Ward 1 Councilman Robert Frost, right, who is moving to Lakewood. (Photo by Jennifer Mitchell)

City Council adds lawyer to ranks
By Jennifer Mitchell
Rocky River
Published May 3, 2006

City Council announced last Wednesday that it will appoint attorney Thomas Hunt, 36, to fill the vacancy left upon Ward 1 Councilman Robert Frost’s May 31 departure.

With the exception of a five-year Bay Village residency, Hunt has spent his life in Ward 1. It’s where he and his wife, Tammy, decided to raise their three children, ages 8, 5 and 2.

Hunt assumes the role of Ward 1 representative June 1.

Frost, chairman of the Republican Party’s Cuyahoga County organization, is moving with his family to Lakewood where he and his wife, Amy, purchased a house.

Hunt was among 11 people who applied for Frost’s seat.

Ellen Erzen, David Furry, Michael Harvey, Christopher Klym, Joseph Koloch, Richard Lesiecki, Gregory O’Brien, James Schieda, Roberta Van Alta and John Zuercher also were contenders.

“With 11 candidates, we are very, very pleased by the level of interest in the ward seat,” Council President Pamela Bobst said.

She added council is looking forward to the addition of Hunt’s expertise.

The decision was made in executive session, so the details of the selection are not public.

However, Bobst said, legislation appointing Hunt to the commission will come up for a roll call vote and that there is “absolute support” for the decision.

The next legislative council session is slated for May 8.

Frost said that while it will be sad to leave council and the city, “We are not going far. We are very much looking forward to moving into our new home.”

Frost added that he thinks very highly of council’s replacement choice.

“I’ve known Tom Hunt for a few years now because our kids are the same age and both go to school together,” Frost said. “I certainly think very highly of him.

“I am really pleased that council made its choice. They had some really stellar candidates to choose from and so they really couldn’t have made a wrong decision.”

Bobst said Frost will be greatly missed, adding that he is a major advocate for Ward 1 residents and does a great job for residents of the city overall.

“He has been such an important part of City Council,” Bobst said.

Among his efforts on council, Frost worked on environmental, safety and traffic issues.

Hunt, also a Republican, has practiced law for about nine years, with offices in Rocky River and Cleveland. He also has experience in planning and zoning.

Hunt said he hopes to earn the trust of residents and continue what Frost started in Ward 1.

“He has done a great job, and I think he’s been proactive in handling a lot of the issues that are important to residents,” Hunt said. “I would like to not only continue following his lead, but take it to another level.”

Hunt comes into the ward seat as Mayor William Knoble is expected to resign. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor William Mason charged Knoble Thursday with two misdemeanors for hiring relatives at Rocky River’s wastewater treatment plant. An arraignment is slated for May 11, according to Knoble’s attorney Michael Murman.

“It’s a sad time, but I also think that, as a member of a large group of representatives of the city, it’s time to refocus and get back to our goals,” Hunt said.

Hunt did not represent the city when an investigation of hiring practices by the county sheriff’s office began last year. He said he won’t let the situation affect the way he approaches the job.