A second-term Columbus city councilman is stepping down at year’s end to relocate outside his council district.
Frank Jerome, 76, submitted a short, hand-written notification dated Dec. 7 to Bartholomew County Republican Party chairwoman Barb Hackman, she said Monday.
A marriage license application for Jerome and Belva Grace Nylander, 79, of Noblesville was published in Sunday’s Republic. Frank Jerome was married to Linda May Jerome for 30 years until her Dec. 29, 2016 death after a lingering illness.
Jerome, who was elected to represent city’s District 3 on the northeast side, first landed a seat on the Columbus City Council in the 2011 general election when he defeated Democratic challenger Greg Noel by two votes.
He was re-elected in 2015, when he defeated Republican challenger Russ Poling in the 2015 primary and ran uncontested in the general election that year. Earlier, he made an unsuccessful run for the Bartholomew County Council in 1996.
Jerome, a dentist, first opened an office on Central Avenue in Columbus in 1971 after serving two years with the U.S. Marines, including a year in Vietnam. Jerome said he was drawn to the city after seeing it featured in a 1969 PBS special.
Although he later relocated his practice to a downtown Washington Street office, Jerome said he was committed to staying in Columbus and serving the clients who became like family to him through the years.
After serving Columbus as a dentist for more than 40 years, Jerome closed his private practice in 2016 and donated equipment from the practice to Orphan Grain Train, a charitable organization that often sends medical equipment and supplies to areas in need around the world.
Jerome’s equipment, which included some of the industry’s most state-of-the-art technology such as a 3D X-ray machine, went to a clinic in Texas specially created to care for the underserved population, he said.
When making that decision, Jerome said he wanted to spend more time working in the arts, particularly writing, painting and sculpting.
Jerome wrote a book, “Tooth Truth: A Patient’s Guide to Metal-Free Dentistry,” published in 1996, which delved into the possible risks of using metals in dental care.
His career took him to every continent on the Earth except for Antarctica and put him in contact with several high-profile people, including the Dalai Lama.
Cell phone incident
Also in retirement, Jerome served as a substitute teacher for the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. until April, when he was accused by a female Columbus North High School student of grabbing her in class, which turned into a brief struggle.
The student accused Jerome of battery after he asked her to put her cell phone away during classtime, the police incident report states. The girl fell from her chair during the struggle, but did not sustain lasting injuries, according to documents.
Afterward, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. said Jerome would no longer serve as a substitute teacher, and the student’s parents said they did not wish to have him prosecuted, said special prosecutor Blaine S. Goode of Washington County, who determined in June that the case should be closed with no charges filed.
Goode said the student and substitute teacher both were responsible in the matter.
Jerome declined to comment on the cell phone matter in the spring, and declined to comment on his resignation Monday afternoon when reached by telephone.
Mayor’s reaction
Mayor Jim Lienhoop, who served as a fellow Republican city councilman for four years, said he was informed around Thanksgiving that Jerome might resign due to his plans for marriage and relocating outside of the Columbus area.
Lienhoop said he enjoyed serving with Jerome, adding that he made a good contribution to the community.
“He always asked good questions and he was great to discuss an issue with,” Lienhoop said. “We will miss that.”
City Councilman Tom Dell described his council colleague as an individual who had an interest in making Columbus a better place.
“Frank had a real passion and concern and doing what was right for the city of Columbus,” Dell said. “His sense of humor and sometimes his wit will be missed.”
Jerome’s successor will be chosen by Republican precinct committee members from District 3 with a caucus tentatively scheduled for Dec. 29, Hackman said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Frank Jerome” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Age: 76
Occupation: Retired dentist; also served as a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War
Involvement in city government: First elected to Columbus City Council in 2011 after defeating Greg Noel in the general election by two votes. He defeated challenger Russ Poling in the 2015 Republican primary and ran uncontested in the general election that year.
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