Four candidates vie for sheriff position

Four candidates are running for the job of Sussex County sheriff, a position long held by Robert Untig, who was first elected in 1989. The sheriff’s office has the responsibility for a wide range of law enforcement services, and oversees the Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Law Enforcement, Office of Emergency Management and the fire marshal/fire coordinator’s office. Although the election to the sheriff’s office takes place in November, there are no Democratic candidates, so the winner of the Republican primary may likely be the only choice on the general election ballot. We asked each of the four candidates to make a brief statement about their candidacy. Dan Storey I have been deeply rooted in Sussex County, and have lived here for 35 of my 43 years. I am a senior officer and corporal of the Sussex County sheriff’s office, having experience in all facets of the agency after 20 years of service. I am honored to serve the residents of our county. I have an excellent relationship with our current sheriff and officers, and working side by side with them, have the unique experience of understanding the ins and outs of our office, see first hand what works and what doesn’t, have existing working relationships with teachers, parents, children, senior citizens, religious groups, business owners, and residents. As your sheriff I vow to continue to advocate for residents, as well as for our office, with vigor, devotion, and integrity. I am not looking to reinvent the wheel, but rather, to improve upon those programs already in existence, without compromising public safety or increasing taxes. I intend to be fiscally responsible and conservative, and prevent tax increases by managing our current budget efficiently. We currently maintain a $10 million budget, and despite being understaffed in both the sheriff’s office and the Corrections Division, get the job done effectively. There is no fat to trim, therefore I will not make promises on tax cuts that I can’t deliver, although I am open to innovative ideas. After the election, I will improve relations with local police for consolidation of services and envision working together toward our common goals. Through continued education and improved disbursement of current personnel for community policing, I plan to combat the serious increase of drug related incidents and gang affiliations. I look forward to employing my experience and integrity to continue serving the people of Sussex County with our best interests always at the forefront. Mike Strada I’m a resident of Hampton Township. I’m married and have three young children. I have been a law enforcement officer for 17 years and am currently a detective supervisor. Prior to starting my career in law enforcement I served our country for four years in the army as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. I am a veteran and deployed to the Iraq where I led eight men in battle. As your next sheriff I will be guided by two core principles: Keeping Sussex County safe and doing so as efficiently as possible. You have my promise that as your sheriff, I will make the tough choices that will keep our beautiful county both safe and fiscally sound. Two specific ways we can provide immediate taxpayer relief are: expanding the inmate work program and instituting an inmate bracelet program. By putting low-risk inmates to work cleaning county roads, open spaces, and possibly even municipal facilities, we can save taxpayers thousands of dollars. In the past two years Sussex County taxpayers spent $1,500,000 on inmate health care. By introducing a GPS-based electronic bracelet program for low-level, non-violent offenders with known medical issues, we can track these individuals remotely while they live at home and have their own medical benefits — not your tax dollars cover their health care. We can save hundreds of thousands of your taxpayer dollars with this program. These are two very real opportunities and I will make these programs a priority. I will treat every dollar of the budget knowing someone worked hard to earn it. I understand our families are facing tough economic times. As your sheriff, I will work each day to protect not just your family but your tax dollars as well. I promise to be held accountable to the taxpayers. I am the conservative choice. I ask for your support on June 8. Wayne Yahm My wife and I have raised our family in Franklin for over 22 years. I earned the rank of captain in one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the state, serving with honor and distinction. From crime scene investigations, drug busts, working in the county jail and overseeing a volunteer force to stabilize New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, I’ve seen and lived it all. My record of unmatched service and experience make me best qualified to lead Sussex County as our next sheriff. Among the candidates, I am the highest ranking officer currently working in a sheriff’s office with the ability to lead from day one. I am the only candidate to have successfully taken and passed the civil service exam for corrections officer, sheriff’s officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. With a $10 million budget, we need a sheriff who understands how to manage taxpayer dollars correctly, and efficiently. I am the only candidate who is a certified public manager. Finally, I am the only candidate who has released a plan — an Eight Point Plan — one that will better serve our community, local law enforcement and you, the taxpayers. You can read the entire plan at yahmforsheriff.com. My plan focuses on improving programs for senior safety, Internet safety for our kids, and rooting out waste with top-to-bottom audits of the sheriff’s office. I will make criminals in county lock-up pay a portion of their incarceration costs, and streamline prisoner transportation, all designed to ease the burden on you, the taxpayers. Serving as your next sheriff would be truly humbling and a responsibility I take very seriously. I will be a full-time sheriff focused only on keeping you, your family and our county safe. It would be an honor to earn your vote in the Republican Primary on June 8. Please visit my Web site for information or to ask questions, at yahmforsheriff.com. Jay Ziegler As a resident of Andover Township, a business owner in Andover Borough and the father of five children in public school I share the concerns of many of my fellow residents regarding public safety and economic security. We want to live in a safe environment without being taxed out of existence. The absolute need for our public institutions is understood, but the variable is: who among us can provide the qualified responsible leadership to deliver the best possible public safety product at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer. I am that candidate. I am uniquely qualified through both training and experience to provide the necessary leadership as sheriff to accomplish this goal. I am the candidate with the proven track record of accomplishment as chief of police: the only candidate to serve as the chief executive of a public safety agency with an unquestionable track record of accomplishment. I proudly list some of these on my resume available on www.zieglerforsheriff.com. I have a B.A. in criminal justice, a certificate in public administration and am a former commissioned officer in the United States Army. I currently sit on the Police Consolidation and Merger Committee of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. The challenges ahead are great, as we tackle the issues facing our communities; narcotics sales and use, gangs infiltrating our schools and communities, online predation of our children and scams against our seniors. We must rise to meet these challenges with the understanding that we are working in a time of diminishing resources to do so. Therefore, it is imperative that the next sheriff be capable of providing the qualified responsible leadership that will be needed. I have provided this leadership as chief of police and it would be my honor to do so as Sussex County sheriff.