Editorial Page staff
The Seattle Times
Twenty-eight years ago, the corruption and cronyism that convinced voters to make the King County sheriff an appointed position made an indelible impression on a young radio reporter who covered the scandals.
Mayor Norm Rice said that experience is why he is totally opposed to Charter Amendment 2, which would turn back the clock to give the county an elected sheriff.
Introducing partisan politics into the job makes the sheriff a political player in a wider field than just law enforcement, Rice said, and he fears that justice becomes tainted in the process.
Rice is just one of a number of community leaders and good-government groups that oppose Charter Amendment 2.
The measure of King County's top cop should not be the number of votes that can be drummed up during a campaign. All of the emphasis should be on finding and hiring the best law-enforcement and management talent available, and holding elected officials accountable for the sheriff's performance.
For a major metropolitan county, the job is as much about management as it is crime fighting. As the head of the county's Department of Public Safety, Sheriff Jim Montgomery is responsible for a $72 million budget and 914 employees, including 611 police officers.
Voters who are not satisfied with the sheriff and the services they receive have recourse at the ballot box on the county executive or their council representative.
Nothing is broken with a system that has served King County citizens well for nearly three decades. Vote no on Charter Amendment 2.
