Rothenburger honored for years of service

The Kentucky Association of Counties presented former Shelby County Judge/Executive and State Rep. Rob Rothenburger with a County Advocate award upon his retirement from the General Assembly, thanking him for his leadership and commitment to promoting county governments across the state.

“On behalf of KACo and all county officials, we want to present this award to Rob for his dedication to his county government roots while serving as a state legislator," Executive Director Jim Henderson said. "He was highly respected among his peers in the General Assembly, and he has been an outstanding county advocate on legislative issues. We are indebted to him for his consistent efforts on behalf of his district."

Rothenburger has a long history of public service, most recently his term in the state legislature representing Shelby County.

In the House, he served on the Agriculture and Local Government committees as well as the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection committee. Rothenburger was viewed as a primary source for legislation addressing emergency services and county government. He supported other key county issues including 911 and ambulance service support, fiscal court process efficiencies, pension relief and modernizing requirements for county public notice advertisements.

Prior to his service in the legislature, Rep. Rothenburger served as Shelby County Judge/Executive from 2003-16. He also served as a paramedic and fire chief. He resigned his seat in August to return to service as fire chief for the city of Shelbyville.

“I am thankful for the award and the opportunity given to me to work with so many wonderful individuals at KACo representing local government on the myriad of concerns and issues that affect our counties," Rothenburger said. "Without the support of KACo, many of the pieces of legislation that I sponsored or co-sponsored may have not been enacted. I am and will forever be a strong supporter of the Kentucky Association of Counties.”

This year the KACo County Advocate award is being presented to retiring lawmakers who have made outstanding efforts in the General Assembly to advance Kentucky’s counties through the lens of their prior experience as county officials.

“We wanted to recognize and thank Rob for serving as a strong voice for counties at the state level," Henderson said. "His county government service allowed him to speak with firsthand knowledge as a legislator on how any bill could impact county government. That was an immeasurable asset for counties at the Capitol. We wish him all the best.”