Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Governance Social Media topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Heated exchange over council Facebook page ends with president leaving; pro tem carries motion to seek emergency legislation
Summary
A late‑agenda fight over the official Bucyrus City Council Facebook page led to the council president leaving the dais during debate. The council voted to request emergency legislation to reactivate the page and add co‑administrators, and directed the matter to the special meeting agenda.
A dispute over control and recordkeeping for the Bucyrus City Council Facebook page escalated during the Dec. 2 meeting, with Councilmember Slater moving to direct the council president to reactivate the page, add co‑administrators and place emergency legislation on the special meeting agenda.
During debate, tensions rose and the council president left the dais saying, "We're adjourned at 08:38PM, and I'm taking the gavel with me." Members present objected to that unilateral adjournment, moved that the council president pro tem preside and continued the meeting. The pro tem and other members then brought Slater’s motion back to the floor.
The motion sought to: reactivate the council Facebook page to its prior state, add the council president pro tem, the council clerk and the communications director as co‑administrators, and waive procedural steps to place emergency legislation on the next special meeting agenda; the motion requested completion of the reactivation and administrator additions by Dec. 12, 2025.
Council voted on the motion while the pro tem presided; the motion carried with the transcript recording multiple yes votes and one abstention. Members discussed that, if the president refused to comply, the council could seek judicial relief (an injunction) in Crawford County to compel action, though council lawyers said civil enforcement remedies would be required to compel an individual officeholder.
Why it matters: The exchange touches on open‑records, custody of official records and continuity of public communications during a transition in council leadership. Council asked that the emergency legislation be prepared for the special meeting so the matter can be resolved by the full body.
