STATE LAWMAKERS
Ohio House votes to merge Tiffin, Fostoria municipal courts
5/24/2013The Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill to merge the Tiffin and Fostoria municipal courts.
State representatives on Wednesday voted 92-1 in favor of the bill, which abolishes the Fostoria Municipal Court and the Tiffin Municipal Court and establishes the Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court.
An emergency clause for the bill, which allows it to take effect as soon as the governor signs it, also was approved in the House by an 87-6 margin.
The bill’s sponsor state Rep. Rex Damschroder (R., Fremont) hopes it will go to the Senate next week for consideration.
Tiffin Municipal Court Judge Mark Repp presently serves as the judge for both courts, following the death of Fostoria’s judge in 2012.
The court consolidation would mean one judge would continue to serve both cities, with that judge to be elected in November. A branch office in Fostoria would remain open.
“We’ve been operating with one judge for the last year or so and it seems to be working fine and dandy, so this is just a cost saving measure that has the support of everybody,” Rep. Damschroder said.