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BUCYRUS — Monday night’s Bucyrus City Council meeting was dominated by emotional public testimony about social-media conduct and the treatment of minors online, followed by debate over a clerk’s pay dispute and a divided vote on a transfer ordinance. Despite the tension, council approved two ordinances and a payment to former clerk Miranda Wise before adjourning just before 9 p.m.
Residents Confront Council President
Public participation opened with Angie Rayborn, who urged Council President Kurt Fankhauser to stop posting and editing photos of minors on Facebook. She called the behavior “wrong” and “creepy,” drawing applause from the audience.
Fifteen-year-old Cory, a Bucyrus resident, then addressed council, saying a photo of him taken without consent at a campaign event was later posted and digitally altered on the Citizens for a More Transparent Bucyrus page, which Fankhauser helps moderate. With Police Chief Jon Dorsey looking on, Cory said the post amounted to harassment and cited Ohio’s telecommunications-harassment statute. His remarks also received applause.
Resident Alena Fox encouraged community support for neighbors affected by job loss and announced she would assist anyone seeking résumé help or interview practice. She closed by calling for Fankhauser’s immediate resignation, citing conduct she described as unbecoming of a public official.
Candidate Gary Daiber briefly attempted to campaign from the podium before Councilman C. Aaron Sharrock raised a point of order reminding attendees that campaigning is not permitted during public comment. After a short exchange over First Amendment rights, Fankhauser allowed Daiber to finish his remarks. Council members later clarified that chambers are considered a limited public forum, where discussion must pertain to city business rather than political campaigns.
Resident Rachel Myers echoed concerns about the use of minors’ images online, saying that a photoshopped picture of her own special-needs child had been circulated to criticize her husband, Councilman Kevin Myers. She also questioned Fankhauser’s use of a flatbed truck bearing campaign signage, which Mayor Bruce Truka warned could violate city ordinance and expose Bucyrus to legal risk. Myers added that her recent public-records requests to Fankhauser had gone unanswered and asked who currently manages the council’s official Facebook page.
Council Business and Pay Dispute
Councilwoman Vicki Dishon asked to speak as a taxpayer and presented a timeline comparing personal-leave payouts for two former clerks. Dishon said that when Miranda Wise resigned, she had 41 hours of unused personal leave totaling $1,035.25. Fankhauser, she said, refused to authorize the payment. Meanwhile, Kelli Patterson-Tussey, who worked less than 30 days before leaving the position, was paid for 28 hours of accrued time.
Dishon also disclosed that Fankhauser entered into a private independent-contractor agreement with Patterson-Tussey for training services at $35 per hour, not prepared or reviewed by Law Director Brandon Gobrecht nor approved by council.
After discussion, Dishon moved to pay Wise for her unused leave, seconded by Sharrock. Auditor Kali Lewis said she was unaware of any instance where a clerk had been denied accrued personal-leave payout. Council approved the payment, with Chris Mauritz casting the lone no vote and Clarissa Slater absent.
Ordinances Passed and Tabled
Council adopted Ord. 43-2025, a supplemental appropriations measure shifting funds across several lines and allocating $35,000 in Local Fiscal Recovery Act funds to Waterworks Capital. Ord. 45-2025, updating the city’s peddlers-and-solicitors rules, was also approved as an emergency.
Ord. 36-2025, adjusting Norfolk Southern railroad-signal rates, received its second reading and was returned to the Health and Safety Committee. Ord. 44-2025, covering fund transfers, failed to advance after no second was offered to suspend the rules. That measure had included money to train the incoming clerk, prompting disagreement over process and timing.
Committee and Administrative Reports
During reports, Police Chief Jon Dorsey highlighted recent community-policing efforts, inter-agency cooperation during a political visit, and ongoing recruitment for the police department. He also noted a recent firearm incident that resulted in an attempted-murder charge, with no injuries.
Auditor Kali Lewis referred several year-end appropriations and reductions to Finance and commended the composure shown by the young speaker during public comment.
Council approved amended minutes from April 22, April 24, and August 7, 2025. Ad-hoc minutes from August 19 and September 2 were tabled pending signatures. Members discussed potential savings from posting enacted legislation online instead of paying for newspaper publication, referring BCO 113.01 to Finance for review.
Council also approved the mayor’s appointment of Rick Smith to the CIC through December 31, 2029, and tabled an Airport Commission appointment that lacked term dates. A motion to excuse Slater’s absence failed 3-3, with Fankhauser breaking the tie by voting no. The planned executive session was canceled due to the law director’s absence.
Infrastructure Update
Earlier in the evening, Zoning Director Mike Keefe reported that Omni Fiber’s contractors expect to finish the city’s fiber-installation project by year’s end, focusing next on neighborhoods east and west of North Sandusky Avenue between Plymouth Street and the north end of town.
Council adjourned at 8:55 p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for November 18 at City Hall.
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