Tiffin mayoral candidate John Spahr reprimanded for personal use of county vehicle

Tiffin, Ohio — Seneca County Emergency Management Administrator John Spahr, who is running for mayor of Tiffin in the 2023 election, was issued a written reprimand in June 2021 after a citizen sent photos of Spahr unloading band equipment from a county-owned vehicle at a bar in Erie County.

According to documents obtained by TiffinOhio.net, the written reprimand, issued by County Administrator Jaime Wolfe on July 28, 2021, cited Spahr for “failure of good behavior” after a citizen reported him unloading band equipment from a Seneca County Emergency Management Agency minivan at Margaritaville in Sandusky on June 20, 2021.

The reprimand noted that personal use of a county vehicle is strictly prohibited and required that a mileage log be kept for every trip a county vehicle is utilized.

Spahr told TiffinOhio.net in an email that the whole thing was a “misunderstanding.”

“When I took the job in 2019, I was told that a benefit of the position was that I was given a vehicle for my use. No other stipulations were mentioned at the time. This was a misunderstanding on my part of how I was allowed to utilize the vehicle,” Spahr said.

“At the time the report was made I was operating under the impression that the vehicle was for my use. When it was brought to my attention that that was not the case, I immediately rectified the situation. I have since voluntarily given up the benefit and don’t take a county vehicle home on a daily basis,” he continued.

In addition to his role as Seneca County Emergency Management Administrator, a position he has held since 2019, Spahr has also served as an at-large member of Tiffin City Council since August 2022.