PORT TOWNSEND — The Board of Jefferson County Commissioners will discuss the process of choosing an acting sheriff from three candidates on Monday.
Interim Sheriff Andy Pernsteiner, Patrol Sergeant Brett Anglin and Deputy Art Frank will be considered for the position, which will be filled by March 4.
County deputy prosecuting attorney Melissa Pleimann will present the process to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in a 3 p.m. workshop.
If the BOCC can’t agree on a choice by the deadline, Gov. Bob Ferguson will choose from the same three candidates.
“I’ve been with the agency for 27 years,” Pernsteiner said. “I’ve been in a leadership position here at the sheriff’s office for the last 18 years. I have an executive-level leadership certification from the Criminal Justice Training Commission. I have been instrumental with developing different policies and different tools for the Sheriff’s Office over the past five years.”
Pernsteiner said he was involved in the office’s incorporation of body-worn cameras for all officers in 2022. He authored a grant in 2021 to employ a mental health navigator, he said.
“We have a really good team of deputies and sergeants and detectives and corrections officers here at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and I think we need somebody that’s going to care for their well-being, hold them accountable and is community-focused. I think that I’m all those things and I’m obviously the best applicant to take on this role for the next eight months or nine months until the election’s over.”
Anglin said the role was never something he desired or pursued, but as a public servant, he felt obligated to apply.
“I would fill the role if the commissioners believed it was necessary and I was the best candidate for the position,” Anglin said. “My priorities for my current position and at this point in the process, are to maintain teamwork and cohesion within our organization to support our mission to the community.”
Anglin said he has full trust that the BOCC will choose the candidate best suited to the position.
Frank has been in law-enforcement for the last 45 years and has spent the last 10 years as a deputy at Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, he said. Frank ran for the office in 2022, facing off against former Sheriff Joe Nole, who won the race.
Frank did not respond for a request for comment.
Following Nole’s retirement at the beginning of January, Pernsteiner was assigned to the position of interim sheriff by the BOCC while the Jefferson County Democrats (JCD) began collecting applicants for a longer-term replacement.
JCD is responsible for nominating candidates because Nole registered as a Democrat on the partisan ticket.
The person who is appointed will serve until voters select a new sheriff in the November general election. That person will serve for one year to finish Nole’s term.
A full-term sheriff will be elected in 2026 and begin serving in January 2027.
Lora De La Portilla, Chair of the JCD and the Central Committee, said she’s proud of the organization for a job well done.
“This was an uncommon circumstance that required a great deal of thoughtful consideration,” Portilla said. “I’m proud of the hard work and collaborative efforts the Central Committee showed in rising to this challenge.”
________
Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@sequimgazette.com.
