BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Bucyrus Law Director Brandon Gobrecht has issued a statement regarding recent allegations that the city of Bucyrus has attempted to influence the outcome of the street levy renewal issue appearing on May’s ballot:
“I am aware of this kerfuffle regarding the allegation that the City of Bucyrus has improperly attempted to influence the outcome of the street levy. I have thoroughly investigated this matter and consider it closed. At the time of this writing, I am not aware of any pending “investigation” being conducted by the State of Ohio.
This all started when the Service-Safety Director had “vote yes” signs delivered to him in his office at City Hall. As I understand it, these signs were not addressed in an official capacity, and were sent to the office out of convenience. After receiving these signs, the Service-Safety Director promptly took the signs to his personal vehicle, and are not currently being kept on City property.
After this “scandal” broke, a City employee self-reported that they had accidentally sent an email regarding the levy using City email. Through my investigation, I have discovered that this email was sent over the employee’s lunch break, and that it was a simple mistake that the employee did not realize they weren’t signed into their personal email account. This employee was commended for their honesty, and an official reprimand has been placed in their file for record purposes.
I have reviewed the letter from the Auditor of State which requested that I, as Law Director, provide corrective training on this matter.
I have spoken to people throughout City Hall, and am confident that everyone has been brought on the same page that there is to be no City influence, resources, or money being used to influence the levy outcome.
Additionally, I have made clear to all involved that they are allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights in their private capacity as they wish, and to use common sense. It may sound dumb, but clarifying at the beginning of an email or conversation that the following dialogue is in an “official capacity” or in a “private capacity” is a good way to avoid mistakes.
At no time has anyone at City Hall intentionally broken the law or conducted themselves unethically. I cannot stress this enough: I have better things to do with my time than conduct investigations and be used as a pawn for others’ political gain. This is the end of my report based on the information I have uncovered.”
Brandon Gobrecht, Law Director, City of Bucyrus