by Logan Andrew | FreeWire — Your News, Your Voice
BUCYRUS — What started as a routine Bucyrus City Council meeting Tuesday night quickly devolved into a chaotic, hours-long unraveling of dysfunction, manipulation, and personal vendettas — culminating in an executive session that excluded Council President Kurt Fankhauser.
But before things exploded in private, Law Director Brandon Gobrecht set off his own fireworks in public — launching into a scathing 15-minute report accusing Fankhauser of veiled threats, rumor-spreading, and abusing his position in an attempt to undermine Gobrecht and other city officials. Gobrecht’s allegations were broad, but the underlying theme was consistent: Fankhauser is “weaponizing process” to retaliate against anyone who refuses to do his bidding.
Theatrics and Puppetry
The night’s opening act came courtesy of Greg White, who took the podium with his usual blend of vague accusations and performative outrage. White railed against council members for alleged dishonesty and failure to comply with public records requests, but when pressed by Councilwoman Vicki Dishon on whether she was the council member he was accusing, White fell completely silent.
Council suspended rules to allow Dishon to ask the question directly. White didn’t answer. Some attendees openly speculated that White’s sudden speechlessness might have been because Fankhauser hadn’t given him that part of the script. The implication: White may not be an independent voice, but a mouthpiece for Fankhauser and his online supporters.
Councilwoman Clarissa Slater later stepped in to provide clarity — noting that the supposed “ignored records request” stemmed from her declining to turn over personal text messages she received during her first council meeting. Those texts, sent while her child was home with a fever, included updates from her parents and congratulations from friends — none of which, she argued, constitute public record. She further stated that she voluntarily turned over more than was required and that the backlash came from a bad-faith attempt to portray her actions as misconduct; in reality, she was simply responding to her child’s health situation, not acting in any official capacity.
Gobrecht’s Turn
If White’s segment felt performative, Law Director Brandon Gobrecht’s report was the main event — and it was unfiltered.
Gobrecht accused Fankhauser of:
- Issuing a “loyalty ultimatum” demanding Gobrecht choose a side: “righteousness or the cover-up.”
- Spreading a false rumor that Gobrecht was caught having sex in his office — something Gobrecht said is impossible, due to the office’s locked buzzer-entry system and corroborating evidence.
- Physically grabbing the gavel from Gobrecht in a past confrontation and raising it in an aggressive manner.
- Attempting to cut Gobrecht’s salary in half by stripping the prosecutor role from the manpower ordinance — a move that would leave him legally responsible for both roles without compensation or the ability to appoint an assistant.
- Doxing behavior, including showing up uninvited to locations, taking photos, and having them posted online by former Councilwoman Carolyn Shireman — including photos of Gobrecht’s girlfriend’s children, which he called “disturbing.”
Gobrecht also dropped a new development: he believes he has compelling evidence that Galion resident Elmer Copp may be working in some capacity for Wavelinc, a company owned by Fankhauser. He stopped short of saying Copp works for Fankhauser directly — but said the evidence raises questions worth exploring. He had requested an executive session to discuss the lawsuit filed by Copp against the city, but said Fankhauser had it removed from the agenda.
That effort didn’t work. After debate later in the evening, council voted to override Fankhauser’s omission and enter executive session anyway — without him.
Denials, Deflections, and Procedural Games
Fankhauser, for his part, dismissed most of Gobrecht’s report as “90% garbage.” But his credibility took another hit when Councilwoman Aaron Sharrock publicly corrected his claim that he didn’t call a controversial special meeting in May.
According to Sharrock, Fankhauser initially tried to call the meeting himself, and only after being told he lacked the authority as council president did he coordinate with Councilmen Chris Mauritz, Kevin Myers, and James Mee to call it on his behalf.
The maneuver reinforced a familiar pattern: Fankhauser may not technically break the rules, but few watching would deny the intent behind his actions.
In Between the Chaos
- Mayor Bruce Truka provided updates on the crumbling Swan Hose building and said the city is moving toward legal action to force cleanup.
- Safety-Service Director Tommy Starner requested legislation allowing in-home water testing and a review of railroad crossing signals.
- Auditor Kali Lewis reported that city income tax revenue is up 11% for the year, and 4% after adjusting for back payments.
By the time the meeting ended, council had made several referrals, cleaned up a few grammatical errors in legislation, and gone behind closed doors to discuss the city’s legal exposure — without its council president.
For the public watching at home, one thing became clear: This council isn’t just divided — it’s at war with itself. And this week, the gloves came off.
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