Stampede in Towns sheriff race
By BECKY LANDRESS Sentinel Writer

Sheriff Candidate Rudy Roach.

Four candidates had qualified at press time on Wednesday and several others were lining up at the starting gate, looking into their wallets, as the Towns County sheriff's race is about to get officially underway.

Qualifying ends at noon today, September 6, and the remaining want-a-be-sheriff's had to complete their forms and plop down $1,568.07 before that deadline in order to have a shot at the top law enforcement job in a county that has been plagued of late with corruption and a rash of crimes resulting in Sheriff Rudy Eller's forced resignation a couple of weeks ago.

Among the candidates who have already qualified are : the recently appointed Acting Sheriff Neal Dover, who served for many years as a deputy and has been appointed by the county probate judge to fill out the remaining four months of this year, until the newly elected sheriff takes over on January 1, 2008 for a one-year term.

Another well-known candidate is former-sheriff Rudy Roach, who served as sheriff for 14 years from 1982 until 1996, and who was narrowly defeated by Rudy Eller in the 2004 election in the absentee count.

Two other Towns residents who qualified were Chris Clinton and Gary Hicks. Clinton has an extensive background in law enforcement, mostly in Gilmer County, while Hicks comes with a military background.

Two additional residents eyeing to sheriff's job, who had picked up qualifying forms but had not yet returned them to the Towns County Board of Elections, were Don Lloyd and Leon James. It is also rumored that O'Dell Garrison is going to run.

According to Towns Commissioner Bill Kendall, the beginning annual salary for a firstterm sheriff is $52,259.15, and the top salary for a sheriff who has completed four-full terms is $62,722.96.

Campaigning will begin in earnest as soon as the field of candidates is set. And it is sure to be a whirlwind of activity as the candidates reach out for voters. Two forums are planned for October in which the candidates will be invited to discuss their ideas , state their qualifications and try to persuade voters to vote for them. The first forum being hosted by the League of Women's Voters will be held October 11 at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium. The second forum hosted by Towns County Homeowners Association is scheduled for 7 p.m. on October 23. The place where that forum is to be held is not yet determined..

Unless a majority of the votes goes to just one candidate, a runoff will have to be held between the two top vote getters.

The Towns County sheriff's race is important to Union County residents because of the close relationship Sheriff Scott Stephens must have with sheriffs in adjoining counties to provide effective law enforcement protection to residents of Union County.