Robin Shackleford's Residency Issue

Rather than titillate you as a certain other blogger has done in his useless paid subscription gossip rag, here are the facts on Robin Shackleford's residency issue. Yes, she owns a condominium in Pike Township where she has resided for several years. Yes, she ran against Mike Delph for Senate District 29 in 2010 using her Pike Township voting residence at 4964 Potomac Square Way. According to property tax information for taxes paid in 2011, Shackleford was still claiming a homestead exemption on her Pike Township condominium.

After redistricting and Bill Crawford's decision not to seek re-election, City-County Councilor Vernon Brown stated his intention to run for Crawford's seat. Brown will be barred from seeking another term on the council because of a new law that prohibits local government employees from serving as a council member for the same unit of government that employs them. Ice Miller lobbyist Lacy Johnson entered the picture and ordered Brown to stand down in favor of his handpicked candidate Robin Shackleford, even though she didn't reside in House District 98. Late last year, Shackleford, or someone on her behalf, conveniently rented an apartment in House District 98 on the opposite side of town and changed her voter registration. She also asked the Marion Co. Auditor's office to remove her homestead exemption from her Pike Township condominium.

In order to be eligible to run in House District 98, Shackleford has to reside within the district at least one year prior to the election. There are some indications that Shackleford may have still been residing in Pike Township within the one-year time window prior to this November's election. More information would need to be ascertained to determine if she actually had a residence in House District 98 within the one-year residency period. The bottom line is that Shackleford had no connection to House District 98; she simply moved into it (or claimed to be residing in it) for the purpose of running for a House seat so Lacy Johnson has someone in his back pocket just like he has in Bill Crawford. Don't expect the Marion Co. Republican Party to take any action to challenge Shackleford's residency. Brown may now be regretting that he hadn't stayed in the race and contested Shackleford's residency.