The latest development in the Sheriff/Executive passive-aggressive political turf war is today’s news release from the County Council showing support for the panel that’s been creating recommendations for the Sheriff’s Office to improve employee performance and deal with problematic deputies. The panel has recommended that the Sheriff be given bargaining power in negotiating the deputies’ contract–a power currently held by the Executive. Sims’ staff has not only opposed any change to the King County Charter to allow such bargaining, but were at one point pushing to return the position to appointed status rather than elected.Today’s press release from the County Council begins with a lot of commending everyone for their work to implement changes that will improve the Sheriff’s department and gives a run down of some of the recommendations that the panel has made without explicitly taking a position on contract bargaining. What they are pushing for hard is the creation of an Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. Exactly who will control that office or how it will be set up within the County isn’t stated, but neither Rahr nor Sims will likely feel comfortable ceding any territory when decisions are made on the organization of the office, and more importantly, the appointment of people to run it.
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