BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Bucyrus City Councilwoman Carolyn Shireman delivered a prepared statement Tuesday night during the city council meeting in response to allegations made against her by Bratwurst Festival Board President Adam Heinlen. The controversy arose when Heinlen demanded a public apology from Shireman and her resignation from the council following her attempts to contact him regarding festival-related matters at his place of employment.
Shireman clarified that her intention in reaching out to Heinlen was solely to discuss the contract between the city and the festival, which includes provisions for safety forces and trash pickup at no cost to the festival.
She explained the steps she took to contact Heinlen, including finding his profile on Facebook, sending a private message, and attempting to send a friend request.
Upon being unable to reach him through these means, Shireman sought assistance from a colleague who provided her with Heinlen’s workplace information.
After two unsuccessful attempts to reach Heinlen by phone, Shireman eventually contacted the attorney representing the festival.
To her surprise, the attorney informed her that there was no formal contract in place regarding the provision of safety forces and trash pickup. Furthermore, the attorney had no recollection of any permanent agreement between the city and the festival.
Shireman’s subsequent request for financial records from the festival for the years 2022-2023 led to further complications, as she was directed to obtain the information directly from Heinlen.
Even with a request for the attorney to give Heinlen her contact information, her efforts to communicate with him have not been successful.
In light of these developments, Shireman emphasized that her actions were not intended as harassment towards Heinlen. She directly questioned Heinlen’s transparency and accountability as the President of the Bratwurst Festival, urging him to cooperate with the council in providing the requested financial records.
Shireman concluded her statement by asserting that it is Heinlen who owes the citizens of Bucyrus an apology for the lack of cooperation and transparency in addressing the council’s inquiries regarding the festival’s financial records.
Crawford County Now will continue to follow this developing story.
