Sonora, CA…I am announcing that June 30, 2018 will be my last day as Sheriff-Coroner of Tuolumne County. With the uncertainty of the 2018-2019 budget I feel that my last act as Sheriff should be with certainty. As you are aware this budget cycle is a very tight budget. This will allow a savings for a whole year versus only half of the year because of my higher salary. The difference comes in the longevity of my thirty years with this organization, where Undersheriff Pooley has six years of longevity with us. This will allow the movement of the new Undersheriff position to be filled; however, I will be recommending to not fill the vacated Lieutenant position until or after Mid-Year at the earliest.

These savings will assure that the Sheriff’s Office will not have to see any type of layoffs or demotions, which have been discussed. In 2010 I was unable to stop the handing out of “Pink Slips” to several of my employees; this was an action that still haunts me to this day. Today I am in a position to make sure this does not happen again.
June 5, 2018 will be Election Day. At the conclusion of that day, Undersheriff Pooley will be “Sheriff Elect Pooley”. This is a great honor and blessing for this organization, he will be a fantastic Sheriff! In order to succeed an organization needs true leadership and guidance from only one individual. There are many changes and decisions that will be made in the upcoming weeks and months. It would not be fair to Sheriff Pooley or this organization, which I love and have served for thirty years, to not have the clarity that it needs. We do not need confusion or the appearance of it; we need to continue in the course that has been outlined.

One of my heroes Thomas S. Monson once said, “May we choose the HARDER RIGHT, instead of the EASIER WRONG.” This has not been an easy decision. It has been one of the most difficult things I have done, but I know it is the right thing to do. I know that Sheriff Pooley and his Command Staff will lead you, this organization, and the community in the right direction.

It has been an honor and a privilege to be your Sheriff and to represent this Office. I hope you are as proud of me as I am of you and the way we represented this Office together. May God Bless each one of you and this great organization. I will always look back with great pride in serving with each one of you. Thank you all for what you do!