BUCYRUS — Michael Schiefer is one of four candidates running on the Republican ballot for the Crawford County Commissioner seat currently occupied by Mo Ressallat who is not seeking re-election.
He will vie for the position against Larry Schmidt, Amber Wertman and Terry Gribble.
Schiefer lives in rural Bucyrus with his wife, Kimberly Hirtz-Schiefer, has three daughters and one granddaughter. He said his recent experience as a dump truck driver for Bucyrus Road Materials has given him a unique perspective on the infrastructure of Crawford County.
“I worked 8-and-a-half years at Vance Outdoor and the last four, I was in management,” Schiefer said. “I worked for 30 years at the Timken Company in Bucyrus. I have farmed for 45 years with my father on the family farm and have spent 28 years as an auxiliary police officer.”
Schiefer, who also has taught hunter safety and CCW classes, said he took something valuable from each of the jobs he has had.
“At Timken, I learned how to get along with others,” he said. “At Vance Outdoor, I learned how to learn business skills and worked with federal agencies. With farming, the day isn’t done until the job is. I have the insight into what farmers go through every day of the week. After 28 years as an officer, I learned how to work with the public in a professional manner.”
Schiefer said it is time for the commissioners to get back in touch with the people by knocking down the ivory-tower way of doing things.
“I believe in a meeting each month with the mayors and the county commissioners,” Schiefer said. “A meeting each month with the township trustees. I will make public my personal cell phone number because if we have a problem in the county, then I personally have a problem and feel like I need to be aware so I can resolve the issue at my earliest convenience. ‘We the People’ are the most important words in the U.S. Constitution. A lot of the answers will come from the people and not the commissioners’ office. I will be in and out of the commissioners’ office as needed, but I am mainly going to be out in the county with the people.”
He said it is time to forget the old ways of doing things.
“Every member of this county deserves an equal representation, and I pledge that I will represent each equally,” Schiefer said. “As far as getting jobs into Crawford County, we need to sell the county as a package and allow businesses to choose their locations. When it is necessary, then we seek grants and outside funding to bring more desire for the businesses. We need to get the people involved to go to other locations, to trade shows, and sell Crawford County.”
He said he is a strong supporter of the Constitution and especially of the Second Amendment.
“And I am a life member of the NRA,” he said. “People are the source of answers for the county, not the commissioners. Our job is to listen and facilitate.”
Early voting is underway at the Crawford County Board of Elections in the lower level of the Crawford County Courthouse in Bucyrus. The primary election is March 17 at all precincts throughout the county.