Election Day 2008 may be more than a year away, but for those hoping to snatch up an office; it's already time to get the campaign ball rolling. One of the offices up for grabs is Greene County Sheriff, and starting Thursday, the race is on.
For the last nearly 20 years, Greene County Chief Deputy Jim Arnott has called the sheriff's department home.
"I started at the Greene County Sheriff's Department. I want to finish my career there,” Chief Deputy Jim Arnott said.
But he's not planning a retirement party just yet; instead Arnott is planning a campaign. The man who started out patrolling the streets of Greene County, then moved to detective, lieutenant, sergeant and captain now wants to be sheriff.
"I’ve felt the Sheriff's Department is going in a positive direction, professionalism, great staff. I want to keep that going," he said.
Arnott says his history with the department gives him inside knowledge of its issues: including an overcrowded jail, depleting deputy salaries and a serious lack of resources.
"There are some unsolved cases. However, we're operating in the criminal investigation division with resources from 1997. Could you run a business today in 2007 with 1997 resources? Probably not."
His four-year plan includes increasing staff pay and resources as well as letting low-level offenders out of jail in order to free up room for more serious criminals; and possibly save you money.
"Put inmates out on an ankle bracelet and have them paying taxes instead of us as taxpayers spending taxes on them," Arnott said.
But Arnott isn't the only one with his eye on the sheriff's office. 27-year-veteran of the police department Mark Webb has also thrown his hat into the ring. The Springfield native retired in 2005 and is now a second year law student at the American Justice School of Law in Kentucky, and says, experience also makes him qualified for the job. He tells KSPR News that he's concerned about what's going on in Greene County with some of the issues, especially the jail, and it's time to get back into the communities and rebuild those relationships.
Both Chief Deputy Arnott and Mark Webb are running on the Republican ticket. As far as the Democrats are concerned, no one has announced their intent to run yet. But the chairman of the Greene County Democrats tells KSPR they do have someone in mind.
Current Greene county Sheriff Jack Merritt is not running again, and is serving as Chief Deputy Arnott's campaign treasurer.