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HomeMy WebLinkAbout022425 - Correspondence re: Sheriff Nicole Retiring hUL CemwIe,,r- P�cc 2/2 y(LS During the time leading up to the last election for Jefferson County Sheriff, I heard rumors that candidate Joe Nole, if elected, would retire during his tenure once he reached his Maximum pension. Realizing that this could be an issue down the line, I sent him an email regarding this possibility. Here is what I sent Mr. Nole: I keep hearing references to you retiring during your tenure if elected sheriff in November. Is this a possibility? If elected, would you absolutely be staying the full duration of the elected term or is retirement in any way a possibility (or are these just rumors?) Thank you for your honest response. Mr. Nole responded quickly and I really appreciated his timely return which read: Hello Tim, Thank you for reaching out. I don't know where you received that information, but I have absolutely no intention of retiring during my tenure if reelected. I hate to say it, but there has been a lot of misinformation being spread by my opponent in an effort to cause fear and divisiveness. My plans are to be Sheriff for at least another 4 full years. Please let me know if you have any further questions and thank you for speaking up. In all honesty, Joe Nole Obviously, Mr. Nole will not be finishing his term as Sheriff which is why we are gathered here today. I do not know all of the specific details, but based on his email response to my inquiry, I can only pray that his mid-term departure is not due to a dire health condition or a tragic family loss or emergency. Based on his response to my inquiry, I would shudder to think that Mr. Nole's premature departure from elected office was a premeditated move to give the current undersheriff an unfair advantage in the next election. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to get to know Joe Nole or Andy Pernsteiner on a personal level over the years that they have held office, but I believe they are fine people and have the good of our community as a priority within the offices they hold. I have, however, been able to get to know Art Frank and his family ever since they moved to Port Townsend and I can say without reservation that they have excellent family values and have been deeply involved in positively enhancing our region the entire time. I believe that Art's honesty and integrity are without question and, in our conversations regarding his vision for the Sheriff's position during the past election, I believe that he can bring the necessary changes needed in the department to address our community's rapid shifting policing landscape. The levels of drugs, domestic violence, and mental illness that we see today are quite different from what they were twenty years ago. We need someone in the Sheriff's role who has both local knowledge as well as extensive experience in other, larger municipalities that have been facing this level of policing challenges for some time. Art Frank's resume speaks for itself on this and renders him as the most qualified individual to fill the vacated Sheriff's position. I am urging the Board of County Commissioners to take this rare opportunity to break the established lineage of replacement and appoint Art Frank as Jefferson County Sheriff. Give him a chance to initiate his ideas for positive changes in the force, and to tap into his undaunted commitment to serve and do what is best for our communities. Thank you.