Thud. My jaw hit the table as I listened to the League of Women Voters and heard Joe Nole confess that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) has no strategic plan. 

Instead, Nole said, “I have priorities.” But Nole has never bothered to write them down. How can the sheriff’s office function without clear direction and commonly understood goals?

I work for an insurance agency. We have a substantial written strategic plan for next week, next month, next year, and nine more years after that.

We review and update it regularly to meet changing conditions and we use that plan to guide every decision. Why? Because people are counting on us to protect their financial future.

We also count on JCSO, not just to protect our property, but also our very lives. But Nole has no plan for that. Is it even a priority?

Most functional local organizations have robust written strategic plans, including the Chimacum School District, the city of Port Townsend, East Jefferson Fire Rescue, Habitat for Humanity, Jefferson County, Jefferson County Department of Community Development, Jefferson County Library, the Port of Port Townsend, and the Quilcene Fire and Rescue.

And many more. Those strategic plans show that these organizations respect their constituents enough to be transparent, professional, prepared, and accountable.

Why can’t the sheriff’s office do the same? Because we lack leadership at the top spot in JCSO.

It is time for a change. Joe Nole seems like a nice fellow. But he has let us down, broken promises, and failed to build the foundation for our present and future public safety.

Fortunately, we have an opportunity to elect a highly skilled law enforcement professional with broad experience who will lead JCSO into a brighter future. He will protect and serve every county resident. Please vote Art Frank for sheriff in November. We deserve a safer tomorrow.

Mike Mulligan
NORDLAND