BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BURLINGTON -- Aides from Gov. Paul Patton's office will be in Boone County todayto begin the process of finding a replacement for county Judge-executive Ken Lucas.
But Sally Davis, who handles constituent services in Northern Kentucky for Mr. Patton, and gubernatorial aide Hank Lindsey are going to find some people being mentioned for the six-month appointment aren't interested.
Former Judge-executive Bruce Ferguson and Boone County Democratic Executive Committee Chairman Scott Kimmich said they will not seek the appointment.
"I've heard from no one and I intend to call no one," Mr. Ferguson said Wednesday from his Hathaway Road farm in Union.
Mr. Kimmich, deputy director of the Department of Local Government in the Patton administration, said he was honored to be mentioned by some county political leaders as a possible interim judge-executive. "But I'm pleased with my position in the Patton administration . . . and I'm staying where I'm at," said Mr. Kimmich, a Hebron resident and former county administrator under Mr. Ferguson.
Mr. Lucas announced Tuesday night he will resign July 1 after nearly seven years in office to spend more time on his campaign for Congress. The Richwood Democrat is running against Boone County Republican State Sen. Gex "Jay" Williams in this fall's Fourth District congressional race.
Mrs. Davis said she and Mr. Lindsey intend to talk to "civic leaders, community leaders, county commissioners" and others today while in Boone County.
"We want to find out who the people in Boone County say should be appointed, then we'll get a list of a few names and take those to the governor," Mrs. Davis said.
Mr. Kimmich and Jay Hall, chairman of the Boone County Republican executive committee, each said Wednesday they will talk to their committee members to put together lists of people who may be interested in the appointment.
One name mentioned Wednesday by several courthouse employees, political leaders and county officials was Michael "Mickey" Connor, president of the Hebron Deposit Bank.
Mr. Connor was out of the bank Wednesday afternoon and could not be reached to comment. But he is close to both Mr. Patton and Mr. Lucas. All three attended the University of Kentucky in the mid-1950s and Mr. Connor is the kind of appointee Mr. Patton is looking for, several county officials said.
"Mickey Connor is a competent, good businessman who would do a good job," Mr. Ferguson said. "But I'm not sure he would even want it."
Like he did in February when he appointed Independence businessman Rodney "Biz" Cain to replace the retiring Kenton County Judge-executive Clyde Middleton, Mr. Patton is said to be looking for someone who is not overtly political and can serve as a custodian until the new judge is elected in November.
It is unlikely Mr. Patton will appoint either of the candidates running for the office -- Democrat Jim Collins, the current county administrator or Republican Gary Moore.
Mr. Collins has, in fact, taken himself out of the running.
"I don't want it given to me," Mr. Collins said Wednesday. "I want to earn it."
Mr. Hall said even though he would like to see Mr. Moore land the appointment, he does not expect that to happen.
"The Republican Party Executive Committee is going to submit a list of names to Gov. Patton, and Gary Moore will probably top that list," Mr. Hall said.
"But probably what will happen is what happened a few months ago in Kenton County. Gov. Patton will make a nonpolitical appointment, somebody who can serve as an interim caretaker," Mr. Hall said. Mr. Kimmich said he expects the process to move quickly and with little publicity, unlike in Kenton County where at least three factions of Democrats as well as the Republicans submitted several names for consideration to the governor.
"I don't think anybody wants to go through a process that offers false hope to anyone . . . and that's what happened in Kenton County," he said. "Nobody in Boone County or the governor's office wants to go through something like that again."
