KETTERING — State Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, has resigned from her City Council position after she was appointed to the 6th Senate District seat, weeks after being elected.

Lehner was sworn in to the Ohio Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 18, to succeed Sen. Jeff Jacobson, R-Butler Twp.

Lehner will serve through the end of the year to finish the term of Jacobson, 47, who resigned in mid-October to become a public policy consultant.

Lehner, 58, started working in the Senate immediately after being voted in. She served the Kettering City Council for 10 years.

"We will continue to work with Peggy, just at a different level," said Kettering City Manager Mark Schwieterman. "Her passion (for the job) made it a joy to work with her."

Lehner thinks the Senate appointment will give her an advantage after she is sworn in to succeed Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted as the state representative for the Ohio House's 37th District. "It gives me a chance to meet people in the Senate" and find out who to go to in order to pass legislation, she said last week.

"I hate to kind of rush my way out of council," Lehner said last week. "(I) barely have time to say goodbye to folks."

Lehner will "serve in the Senate for the remainder of this legislative session and then join her colleagues in the Ohio House at the beginning of the 128th General Assembly," said Maggie Ostrowski, Communications director for the Senate Majority Caucus, via a press statement issued last week.

Lehner said she will start immediately and will be in Jacobson's office.

Apply to City Council

To apply for Lehner's council seat, you must be a voter and resident of the city for at least a year. Her at-large council term ends Dec. 31, 2009. The deadline to apply is by 5 p.m. Nov. 28.

To apply, visit www.ketteringoh.org, look under features and download an application.

You can also request an application from the council office by calling (937) 296-2416.

Applications and resumes should be sent to: City of Kettering, Attention: Connie Gaw, Clerk of Council, 3600 Shroyer Road, Kettering, OH 45429.