BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—In a notable moment at Tuesday’s regular council meeting, Bucyrus City Councilwoman C. Aaron Sharrock took the floor to read a letter she authored, urging the council to formally censure Council President Kurt Fankhauser.

During her address, Sharrock emphasized the need for accountability and transparency within the council. Her letter outlines specific concerns regarding Fankhauser’s conduct and leadership, bringing attention to issues that have reportedly created tension in council proceedings.

Sharrock’s letter read:

Dear Council and The City of Bucyrus as a whole,

I apologize in advance for any grammatical or other errors in the written text of this letter. It has taken me quite a bit to compile these thoughts and I can only hope that they come across cohesively.

“We cannot control others. What we have the power to control are our actions. We must be concerned about the impact that we can have on the situation and whether or not our actions can make any difference.”

Germany Kent

For too long we have sat here and seemingly done nothing as a council. Everything we do gets convoluted by the actions of others. Any attempt to speak out or to take a stand against the inappropriate actions of some has become a “reason” for personal attacks. This must stop.

First of all we should all be up here for the best interest of our community. We should be here to help and not for any personal agendas. We should not use our positions to hurt or attack others. We should be doing what we can to help this city, our home. Sadly that has not been happening because too many would rather use this as their soapbox to either hurt others or make themselves seem important. This is not acceptable.

“To censure someone means to issue a formal statement of disapproval or condemnation for their actions, particularly in a governmental or organizational context. It is a public reprimand that highlights conduct deemed inappropriate or a violation of acceptable standards. While it carries significant weight as a formal expression of group disapproval…”

Senate.gov

The community needs to know that his actions are indeed his own and do not reflect the city. He is the only one I have seen who has in his official capacity acted in a way that has been an attack on others. He does not debate, he attacks. You can disagree with another without going after where they live, the color of their hair, creating a scandal with partial information that is taken out of context, calling/emailing (or getting others to do so) employers, creating scenarios for the masses, etc.

Mr. Fankhauser has done all of this. People need to know his attacks are not the actions of the city but personal attacks he is creating himself. The city should not be seen as party to his actions. At this time I ask the council to consider censuring city council president, Kurt Fankhauser, for his attacks on others in his official capacity. I can not request this for his personal attacks on me because ethically that is wrong. I can, however, request it for his attacks on others. I do not care how personally attacked he feels, he can not use his office to attack others.

His consistent attacks need to be addressed. His statements made in council chambers during meeting and his statements made while representing himself as city council president towards Keith French, Max Miller, Gary Miller, Adam Frizzell, Allena Fox, Cassie Grau, Rachel Myers, Jeff Reser, Robert Taylor, Brandon Gobrect, Kali Lewis, Miranda Wise, and so many more. I personally would request censure for his actions against fellow council members, Kevin Myers, Vicki Dishon, and Clarissa Sheffield-Slater but I am not sure that we could ethically vote on those unless the motions are made individually with that member being able to abstain their vote. All of these people have been attacked in some way by him while he was acting or representing himself in his official capacity, in the last three months. This needs to stop. The community needs to know that the city condemns this behavior.

It is one thing to speak your feelings/thoughts as yourself to others, it is a whole other to use your position of power to attack anyone you feel threatened your personal agenda. We are all allowed our rights to free speech and to hold our own opinions. Spewing those as hated filled attacks while using your position to back this can not be tolerated.

Next I feel Mr Fankhauser needs to be censured for using his seat and religion to push religion into our governmental proceedings. I was asked not to say anything, but I can not sit idly aside while he does this. We do not have prayer in council because by law (and for very good reason) there is to be a separation of church and state. Although the term separation between church and state was coined in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson,

Erecting the Wall of Separation Between Church and State is Absolutely Essential in a Free Society.

– Thomas Jefferson, 1808

He was completely backed in thought by James Madison,

The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.

[Letter objecting to the use of government land for churches, 1803]

James Madison

The way they thought to do this was in the first amendment of the constitution which prevents Congress from establishing a religion and prohibits free exercise. Keeping church and state separated protects all of the people. The fact that Mr Fankhauser chose to start doing an invocation once again and furthered it by quoting from his Bible is unacceptable. We were warned before. For there to be an invoicing prior to meetings it had to be completely non- secular or a leader from every single religious belief in the area had to be invited in to do the same. His was neither non-secular nor was it done after an invitation had been sent to all for the same. The city can not be seen to stand behind such actions that left many members of our community feeling unrepresented. We are here to represent the whole community and all of the people herein. When I want to pray I do so privately or in the church in which I attend. I will never do so as an action of the city or state. I will also never do so for approval of others. I have stayed seated as an act of protest against this and I would sincerely hope others would stop just “going with it” because to others that comes across as being complacent.

I can only hope that everyone stepping up to show disapproval of such actions can help to stop some of this irrational behavior. We are supposed to be here for our community. We need to start acting that way. I am tired and I know so many others are as well. All of this only seems a sideshow to keep us from accomplishing anything while making our community look like a joke to others. We need to change the trajectory of the rest of this term.

– C. Aaron Sharrock

The council took no formal action regarding a censure.