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Tiffin councilmember resigns; council sets process and timetable to fill at-large vacancy
Summary
Councilmember John Koehler announced his resignation citing an apparent conflict between his duties as a council member and his daytime work as a criminal defense attorney. The council approved a process to fill the at-large vacancy by appointment, with a Feb. 5 application deadline and a Feb. 10 special meeting to hear candidates.
Tiffin — Councilmember John Koehler announced he will resign his at-large seat effective at the adjournment of the council meeting, citing an apparent conflict between his role as a voting council member and his daytime job as a criminal defense attorney.
"I will be resigning as, Tiffin City Council Member at large effective upon the adjournment of tonight's meeting," Councilmember John Koehler said. He told colleagues he had consulted Law Director Zachary Fowler and concluded the potential conflict warranted stepping down.
After Koehler's announcement the council set a process to fill the vacancy by appointment. The council approved a motion that requires interested, qualified city electors to submit a letter of interest and a resume to the city administrator by 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025; the council will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10, for candidates to speak and answer questions. Council indicated it could vote that same evening; if no selection is made, the Feb. 18 regular meeting will serve as a backup and additional rounds of voting may be scheduled.
Under the rules the council adopted: candidates must be qualified electors of the City of Tiffin (resident, registered voter and meeting any charter residency requirement). Council said it expects resumes and letters of interest to be submitted to the city administrator; the clerk will post the names publicly after the application deadline. The council also agreed that if successive rounds of voting fail to yield a choice, a subsequent meeting will be scheduled; the council president will serve as tiebreaker if necessary.
Councilmember Kevin Reisner made the motion to adopt the timetable and process and it was seconded; the motion carried by voice vote. City Administrator Nick Dutra said he would collect submissions and distribute candidate materials to council once the deadline passes.
Why it matters: The appointment fills an at-large seat that otherwise would remain vacant until the next election; the process the council adopted is designed to balance openness with a compressed schedule required by charter and election timelines. The council asked applicants to note in their letters whether they intend to run in the upcoming election, but said filing a petition was not a strict precondition for consideration.
