Fire department staffing controversy: Bucyrus City Council overrides mayor's veto

"I'm not so sure it will take effect immediately," Brian Gernert, left, the interim law director, said after Bucyrus City Council overrode the mayor's veto on Tuesday. "I think that it's more complex than simply having council pass that." Council members Matt Makeever, center, and Kevin Myers, right, listen.
"I'm not so sure it will take effect immediately," Brian Gernert, left, the interim law director, said after Bucyrus City Council overrode the mayor's veto on Tuesday. "I think that it's more complex than simply having council pass that." Council members Matt Makeever, center, and Kevin Myers, right, listen.

Members of Bucyrus City Council wasted little time Tuesday in voting to override a mayoral veto of legislation requiring the Bucyrus Fire Department to have a minimum of six firefighters on duty at all times.

Even though it was passed as emergency legislation, figuring out what that vote means may take a little longer.

"I'm not so sure it will take effect immediately," said Brian Gernert, the city's interim law director. "I think that it's more complex than simply having council pass that. As I indicated to council, there's case law out there which indicates that council pass staffing issues, council could pass mandatory minimum things, but then it falls within the sound discretion of the administration at the end of the day as well. So I think that there's still some question as to the administration's intent, but yeah, I think council has made it clear that they intend to have six people, minimum, staffed at all times."

After the meeting, Mayor Jeff Reser responded via text message to the Telegraph-Forum's request for a comment.

"I intend to explore all options to maintain the financial viability of Bucyrus and avoid fiscal emergency," he said.

On Feb. 13, Reser and Service-Safety Director Jeff Wagner directed Bucyrus fire Chief Chad Schwemley to reduce minimum staffing for the fire department from six people to four, saying the move was necessary because the city was on a "financial precipice." The change went into effect Feb. 20.

Bucyrus City Council members passed legislation requiring a minimum of six firefighters on Feb. 16 at the end of a special meeting on the issue that was attended by about 70 visitors, including numerous firefighters and police officers, plus city residents.

On Feb. 24, the mayor announced he was vetoing the legislation.

'We can't be putting a price on friends and family'

At the opening of Tuesday's regular council meeting, several of the more than 30 visitors stepped up to the podium to criticize Reser's decision and encourage council members to take action.

Caulin Finnegan, a Shelby firefighter, thanked Reser for giving him the opportunity to begin his career at the Bucyrus Fire Department, where he worked for a little more than a year just as the department was taking on EMS duties for the city and nearby townships. In that time, he had close to 500 hours of overtime, he said.

"While paychecks were good, my intentions were never to get rich off of the city," he said. "It was to provide good service for the citizens of Bucyrus."

Finnegan said that, having worked at the department, "going down to four, I personally know, is not doable."

"I understand it's your job to watch over the city's finances and that's got to be taken into account. But ... we can't be putting a price on friends and family," Caulin Finnegan, a Shelby firefighter, told Mayor Jeff Reser during Tuesday’s meeting of Bucyrus City Council.
"I understand it's your job to watch over the city's finances and that's got to be taken into account. But ... we can't be putting a price on friends and family," Caulin Finnegan, a Shelby firefighter, told Mayor Jeff Reser during Tuesday’s meeting of Bucyrus City Council.

"I understand it's your job to watch over the city's finances and that's got to be taken into account. But ... we can't be putting a price on friends and family," Finnegan said.

Greg White, 1125 Hillcrest, urged council members to "end this crazy, bizarre attitude by our mayor."

Carolyn Shireman, 1065 E. Beal Ave. Apt. 54, threatened to circulate petitions in an attempt to have Reser recalled. "Citizens have had enough of you and this council," said Shireman, who is running as a write-in candidate for the Republican nomination for an at-large seat on council.

Immediately after the visitors had spoken, council member Kevin Myers, R-at large, told council President Jenny Vermillion he wanted to make a motion to reconsider the vetoed ordinance.

Brenton Potter, R-First Ward, seconded the motion, and Vermillion called for a roll call vote. The only council member to vote against the override was Terry Spiegel, R-Third Ward. Less than a minute after Myers began speaking, visitors in the audience were applauding the successful override.

"We're just going to have to see how things go, but right now, we're very happy with the support from council," Schwemley said after the meeting.

Reser: Vote 'will have consequences'

Following the vote, Reser did not deliver a report to council during the meeting. After the meeting ended, he provided the Telegraph-Forum a copy of his intended report, in which he had planned to ask council members to understand the override vote "will have consequences."

"The bottom line is that we cannot afford the level of spending on safety forces that we would like to spend without additional revenue and, since no additional revenue will be received until 2024, we are doing all we can do — and that is making cuts to the budget in order to conserve taxpayer funds and avoid fiscal emergency," Reser wrote in the report.

On May 2, Bucyrus voters will be asked to approve a five year, 0.25% income tax to fund safety services. Collection would begin July 1.

ggoble@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: City council overrides mayor's veto on firehouse staffing legislation