The Blaine County Republican Central Committee completed its role Thursday in selection of a new sheriff for the county by submitting the names of three applicants to the County Commission, which will make the final decision.
Making the final list were former Texas lawman Phil English, Blaine County Chief Deputy Gene Ramsey and Hailey police Patrolman Larry Clark.
Cut from the list were semi-retired FBI agent Frank Hall and Hailey police Lt. Steve England. Three other applicants—Hailey business owners Brent Diehl and Aaron Hughston and Hailey Patrolman Charles Cox—were earlier eliminated by the GOP.
The committee found itself in the position of helping select a new sheriff when Walt Femling, a Republican, announced his resignation for health reasons in early January after 24 years as Blaine County's top law enforcement officer. The resignation becomes effective March 1.
According to Idaho law, the political party of a sheriff who resigns in mid term is allowed to submit three names to the county commission, which is then required to select a new sheriff from the list provided.
"I think they did an excellent job with the process and following the statute and were very thoughtful," commissioner Chair Angenie McCleary said, referring to the GOP committee.
McCleary said the County Commission will likely make a decision on Monday, Feb. 28, following a public meeting at the courthouse. The meeting, set to start at 6 p.m., will include an opportunity for candidate statements and answers to questions from a panel composed of county commissioners and other local officials.
McCleary said she expects that the commissioners will convene in executive session at the conclusion of the question-and-answer session and then will reconvene in public to make a decision.
GOP Central Committee Chair Ed Terrazas said the six committee members met Wednesday to choose the final three applicants. He said English received votes from all six committee members, giving him a No. 1 ranking. Ramsey placed second with five votes while Clark finished third with four votes.
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English, 60, moved to Blaine County two years ago after a 35-year career in law enforcement in the Dallas area. He is the husband of Beth English, director of Blaine County Emergency Communications.
Ramsey, 61, has 40 years law enforcement experience, counting his time as a military policeman in the Air Force. He has been Femling's right-hand man for 24 years, typically serving as acting sheriff when Femling is away from the office.
Clark, 49, has been a policeman for eight years. He was in private business for three years following a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy.
Clarification
Hughston, the owner of Tamarack Sports in Hailey, has objected to being referred to as a layman in a Feb. 9 story in the Idaho Mountain Express.
In an e-mail sent to the Express, Hughston wrote that the term layman is "misleading and inaccurate" as it refers to him.
"I have three-plus years of law enforcement experience," Hughston wrote. "I am POST certified with the state of California as a reserve officer. I have advanced LE [law enforcement] training as well."
Hughston previously acknowledged that he has not been employed as a full-time law enforcement officer and that his experience was as a "volunteer" or "cadet" with police agencies in California.
Hughston, Diehl, the owner of Brent Diehl Construction, and Cox, with six years full-time law enforcement experience, were eliminated from the selection process by the GOP committee on Feb. 7.
A statement then from Terrazas stated that the committee had determined that "the county would best be served by a sheriff with significant law enforcement experience."
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Phil English,
Gene Ramsey,
Larry Clark.
