AVON LAKE — Mayor Karl “KC” Zuber is serving his first official week in office and is already shaking things up.

During Council’s organizational meeting Wednesday, Zuber appointed local attorney William J. Kerner Sr. to the position of law director. Kerner replaces attorney Geoffrey Smith, who served in the mayoral appointed position for more than 14 years.

Kerner recently served on the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, but now moves into the part-time position where he will be the city’s lead counsel.

“He’s going to do a great job. He worked as in-house counsel for CEI for years and comes to us with a lot of experience,” Zuber said.

Former Lorain Law Director Michael Sherach has been appointed to serve as assistant law director.

Smith said he will miss the job, which allowed him to help the community he grew up in, he said.

His tenure includes land acquisitions that led to the construction of the city safety services center and improvements at Miller Road Park. Smith also worked to expand the city’s industrial tax base.

Smith was the man former Mayor Rob Berner said he could always turn to.

“I didn’t know him well coming into the office, but he soon became someone I could go to,” Berner said during a departing interview.
 “He was big on watching for the political ramification of things. I didn’t do that so much and he balanced well with me.”

Smith said he will continue his private practice and he was recently appointed as a civil assistant prosecutor in the Lorain Law Director’s office.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

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