by Logan Andrew | FreeWire Magazine — Your News, Your Voice
In a town the size of Bucyrus, every tax dollar is usually earmarked for survival—fixing a pothole, patching a pipe, or keeping an ambulance on the road. Yet, as the recent committee sessions at City Hall proved, a significant portion of the city’s resources is being diverted into a different kind of drain: political litigation and procedural theater.
What began as a deep dive into the Bucyrus Area Tourism and Visitors Bureau (BTAVB) led by Allison LeClair and Jim Mee has revealed a study in the high cost of political “fishing”. The loud headline remains the confirmation of an ongoing state audit of the Tourism Bureau. Detractors Greg White and Kurt Fankhauser have long pushed for this level of scrutiny, but the timeline tells the real story: the audit strictly covers the period from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025. While some appeared intent on uncovering historical ghosts to haunt past leadership, the audit is legally locked into the present day.
This audit does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of a broader pattern where White and Fankhauser have levied multiple lawsuits and a relentless barrage of records requests against the city. These actions are costing the city tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and untold staff hours. For context, Fankhauser’s history with the Bureau involves documented high-pressure tactics directed at city officials. Law Director Brandon Gobrecht confirmed that Fankhauser has “straight up” threatened him in attempts to influence legal actions. Last year, Fankhauser famously told the Law Director, “You can either be on the side of the ‘righteous’ or the side of the ‘cover up'” in an effort to force a lawsuit against the organization.
The confrontational energy at City Hall centered on a contract with Community Heart Consulting, an LLC owned by Elaine Naples. While detractors raised accusations that Naples sat on the Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) while performing the work—a claim suggesting a conflict of interest—the facts tell a different story. Naples was never a member of the Chamber board that awarded the contract, nor was she on the TAC during her contract period. Her contract was signed in December 2023, and work began in January 2024. It was only after her contract ended in November 2024 that she joined the TAC, which functions as an informal advisory group with no voting power.
“The 46k number is made up, it’s not true,” stated Randy Fischer, President of the Norton Bicentennial Park Board. “More importantly, she did not donate a dime to the park project while she was a consultant. She did not donate her salary as a tourism consultant to the park”. To ensure the accuracy of the financial details being debated, FreeWire met with Naples, who provided a transparent disclosure of her 1099 records and contract to address specific inquiries. These records confirm the contract was for $43,771, which included stipulated expenses like professional development through the Ohio Travel Leadership Academy. Furthermore, while White and Fankhauser have characterized the entire contract as “website costs,” sources familiar with the situation clarify that the initial cost for the website itself was only approximately $2,000. The vast majority of the contract covered a massive overhaul of the city’s digital strategy and content production.
The cost of this contract must be viewed through a professional lens. Chamber Chair Matt Horn pointed out that corporate standards for this work are often much higher, noting that his private company once paid $62,000 just for the translation of manuals. He argued that $43,771 is a highly competitive rate for a complete digital overhaul, especially compared to the “functional failure” of past efforts that relied on unpaid, over-extended volunteers.
The funding for this overhaul also warrants clarification, a point City Auditor Kali Lewis laid out in detail for FreeWire. Under Ohio Revised Code 5739.08, the city levies a 3% “Bed Tax” or Excise Lodging Tax. Lewis clarifies that this is not an additional tax on local residents’ income or property; rather, it is paid solely by lodgers at local hotels and motels. Once collected, 50% of this revenue goes to the Tourism Bureau to promote the city, while the other 50% is deposited into the General Fund. “The 50% that stays within the General Fund can be spent on anything… Police, Fire, General Government, etc.,” Lewis noted. Because tourism operations were largely shuttered during the pandemic, this revenue accumulated into a surplus that allowed for the current program to be built from the ground up.
Despite these successes, the constant tactical maneuvering has a human cost. Becky Lutz noted that at a recent regional conference, she was approached by other executives who knew her only because of the “shenanigans” occurring at Bucyrus City Council. The “witch hunt” isn’t just costing money—it is actively damaging the city’s reputation across the state.
In the interest of a full and fair report, FreeWire reached out to all primary parties involved. In addition to our consultation regarding her financial records, we spoke with Elaine Naples, who declined to provide a formal quote at this time, noting that the respective boards and the Chamber will be issuing statements and returning to Council next week to address these matters. We also reached out to Becky Lutz, who similarly indicated she would not be releasing a statement until she had the opportunity to consult with her board. Finally, FreeWire reached out to both Greg White and Kurt Fankhauser for comment regarding their specific allegations; as of press time, neither has responded.
As the state audit continues, the focus remains on the actual results: clicks, content, and the growth of our hometown’s digital footprint.
Editor’s Note: For the level of professionalism inherent in these deliverables, the city of Bucyrus received a significant bargain. There are perhaps only a handful of individuals in all of Crawford County capable of executing a project of this scale and complexity. The fact that this entire digital infrastructure was built using funds in bed tax—money that residents are not paying out of their own pockets—is an exceptional deal by any business metric. Readers can view the results of this work atvisitbucyrus.org/apples.
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