On Nov. 7 we will be going to the polls. This year, take a look at the Meeker County Sheriff's race. The current sheriff, Mike Hirman, has been in office for 20 years. That is four years longer than the previous sheriff, who was ousted because the citizens and Hirman felt he had been there too long.
Sheriff Hirman has in excess of 36 years of public service and is 57 years old. According to retirement information from the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Account, he is entitled to full retirement benefits. He could have retired two to three years ago, with full benefits. He is overdue in his retirement. He will not be "unemployed" if he was voted out, he will be retired. Why is it that most deputies working there have only been there two to three years when the sheriff has been there for 20?
Since 2002 there have been at least eight full-time deputies that have left the sheriff's office. The sheriff used to blame the exodus on the State Patrol or other higher-paying jobs. This is misleading; only one of those eight went to the State Patrol, and at least one left for a lower-paying job. The sheriff's own admission is that there have been 22 employees that have left in the last few years. That is a lot of turnover.
The sheriff should answer why he can not retain his employees. Another comment I hear is, "Mike Hirman is a nice guy, I don't want him to lose his job." Yes, Hirman is a nice man, I do not dispute that. But does being a nice guy mean that he is the best person for the job as sheriff?
Take a look at the qualifications of Mark Shoutz. He is better qualified for the position of sheriff. He has integrity and the respect to be an efficient and reliable sheriff. For more information, please check out Mark Shoutz's Web site at http://www.markshoutzforsheriff.com
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Keith Roediger
Litchfield
