BUCYRUS—Bucyrus Mayor Jeff Reser announced the appointment of an Interim City Law Director to fill the vacancy created when former Law Director Rob Ratliff resigned to take a position as a Federal Immigration Judge In Louisiana. Reser’s statement read:

“The Crawford County Republican Central Committee met last evening to interview two candidates for the Bucyrus Law Director’s position. Attorneys Bailey Higgins and Brian Gernert applied for the open position. The City was fortunate to have two good candidates from which to choose to fill the large shoes of Rob Ratliff, who recently took a new job with the Immigration Service. Both candidates had solid resumes and experience in the legal system. After extensive interviews by the Executive committee and with the Bucyrus representatives, the final vote to choose a candidate ended in a tie. Bylaws of the Republican Central Committee allow the mayor of the City to appoint an “Interim” director for 45 days.

I am appointing Brian Gernert as the Interim Law Director for the City of Bucyrus. This was a difficult decision that I did not take lightly. Attorney Higgins was a well-qualified candidate with an impressive resume, and I believe that Ms. Higgins has a bright future in the legal field. Mr. Gernert, however, has more extensive experience, having been an attorney for nearly ten years. Brian also has demonstrated impressive leadership in local organizations such as the Bucyrus Area Chamber of Commerce and the MRDD Board. He also has deep roots in the community. In the end, these were the qualities that tipped the scale in Brian’s direction.

During the interviews, Brian expressed his commitment to grow in his personal and professional development and to work hard to be an effective Law Director and leader for the Bucyrus community. We look forward to working with Brian during his interim appointment.”