Republican Blogger Reports that New Councilor Did Not Register to Vote at Claimed Indiana Residence Until October 17, 2011

Gary Welsh of Advance Indiana has continued to update his blog on Jefferson Shreve, the newly appointed (via a vacancy caucus) councilor to represent Council District #23 in Perry Township.  Shreve defeated Michael Kalscheur, a current Perry Township Board Member and candidate for at-large council in 2011.

Welsh previously reported in detail that Shreve until very recently appeared very much to be a resident of Monroe County.  As I previously pointed out on my blog, under Indiana law Shreve is subject to the same two year residency requirement as those councilors who run for election.

This afternoon Welsh obtained voter registration records showing that Shreve apparently did not register in Marion County until 2011.  (As the indention option is not working, look for quotation marks for Welsh's material versus my commentary):

"Search Results

Voter Name: JEFFERSON SCOTT SHREVE County: MARION Status: Registered Township: PERRY Date Of Status: 10/17/2011 Precinct: PER 003 Additional Documentation Required: No Residential Address: 725 E Markwood Ave Indianapolis IN 46227-1536"

According to Jefferson S. Shreve's voting registration (DOB 9/24/1965), he did not become a registered voter at 725 E. Markwood Avenue in Perry Township Precinct #3 until October 17, 2011, shortly before the 2011 municipal election but less than two years prior to his appointment to the council seat. In other words, Shreve was ineligible to become a candidate at Saturday's GOP caucus unless he can prove he became a resident of District #23 at least 9 months before the date of his voter registration. 


Of course it is possible that Shreve became a District 23 resident before January 26, 2011 and simply didn't bother to register until October 17, 2011.  It's just not very likely. Most political people are very quick to change their voter registration. Further, assuming Shreve was a Bloomington, not just a Monroe County, resident, he may very well have cast a vote in that municipal primary in 2011.  The act of voting in that Blooming primary would be an affirmation, under oath, that he was a resident of that city and not District 23, thus confirming he did not meet the two year residency requirement.

Welsh continues his original reporting with his discovery that, while Shreve owns three properties in Perry Township, he's delinquent in paying property taxes on all of them:

"Is Shreve delinquent in the payment of property taxes on the three residences he owns in Perry Township? It would appear so if the Marion Co. Treasurer's online property tax payment database is up-to-date:

...

Select	Name	Parcel	Township	Location	Current Amount Due

		SHREVE, JEFFERSON	5005259	PERRY	734 LAWRENCE AV	$1,397.20
		SHREVE, JEFFERSON SCOTT THIRD FLOOR	5005273	PERRY	725 E MARKWOOD AV	$825.37
		SHREVE, JEFFERSON SCOTT 3RD FLOOR"	5005684	PERRY	731 E MARKWOOD AV	$1,732.20

As of 2013, this is the address the Marion County Treasurer uses to mail tax bills on Shreve's claimed Indianapolis home at725 E. Markwood Avenue:

Shreeve, Jefferson
530 E. Kirkwood Ave
Bloomington, IN   47408