It’s too bad Pierce sheriff will stay elected post. But this wasn’t about Ed Troyer

Ed Troyer wasn’t present when the Pierce County Council made a big decision affecting the future of his department. He didn’t testify on whether the council should stick with an elected chief law enforcement officer or ask voters to switch to an appointed sheriff.

But the embattled first-term sheriff still cast a long shadow over Tuesday’s vote, when the council unfortunately fell short of the five-member supermajority needed to send the question to the November ballot.

All four council Democrats said yes and all three Republicans said no. It’s disappointing that not a single representative of the minority party saw fit to give voters an opportunity to weigh in on this.

Troyer’s contentious first months in office, including an ongoing state criminal investigation into his confrontation with a Black newspaper carrier, were clearly the elephant in the room.

Troyer was mentioned either directly or indirectly by several people who spoke. And before the roll call was taken on the proposed charter amendment, one man summed up the effect it would have on the unnamed sheriff.

In a word, none.

“Think about it: Even if you pass it, he’s not going anywhere until 2024,” said Darin Harris, one of four candidates who ran for the open sheriff’s post a year ago.

Indeed, changing to a system in which the county executive appoints the sheriff wouldn’t have taken effect until the incumbent completes his term. So Troyer would have been home free for the next 41 months, assuming the former longtime sheriff’s department spokesman survives any potential recall effort and ignores critics who want him to resign.

But reverting to the appointment process baked into the original county charter is much more than a referendum on Troyer. There are plenty of good government reasons to do it — day-to-day oversight, a higher level of professionalism, a much larger candidate pool to draw from — that should have placed at least one Republican in the “yes” column Tuesday.

This isn’t about trying to imitate King County, where voters decided last year to switch to an appointed sheriff.

Nor is it about finding the best human being to wear the badge. Pierce County has had flawed men serve as sheriff in both systems.

Mark French, who was appointed to the job, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possessing child pornography in 2004, four years after he retired as sheriff. George Janovich, who was elected, went to prison for his part in a late-1970s’ racketeering ring; the Janovich scandal sparked a reform movement that gave birth to the county charter.

What this debate really should be about is finding the most qualified law enforcement leader. Voters have their hands tied; their choices are limited to a small crop of local residents with enough energy, money, charm and name recognition to survive an election.

A county executive doesn’t have those restrictions; he or she can pick from a bumper crop of talent, attracting accomplished public safety pros who would covet a chance to protect and serve a county of 900,000 people.

What if Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier had been able to appoint a successor from a national pool when Sheriff Paul Pastor retired last year? “We could have had our pick of the litter,” Council chairman Derek Young, D-Gig Harbor, said Tuesday.

Or the executive might go with a first-class insider. That’s what happened in 2000 when Pastor was appointed to replace French — then won election three times after voters opted to change from the appointed system.

We believe voters should be asked if they still feel that way. Our Editorial Board has been beating the drum since last summer, when we found the candidate field to replace Pastor sorely lacking.

The County Council ought to take another swing at an appointed-sheriff proposal next year. They shouldn’t wait until 2026, when the next County Charter Review Commission is formed.

Until then, the shadow cast by the current office holder continues. His most strident critics post yard signs and hang banners calling for him to resign, while his strongest supporters wear T-shirts in his defense.

But the need for direct accountability, professional law enforcement and the best-and-brightest leadership available will outlast Ed Troyer.

News Tribune editorials reflect the views of our Editorial Board and are written by opinion editor Matt Misterek. Other board members are: Stephanie Pedersen, News Tribune president and editor; Matt Driscoll, local columnist; and Jim Walton, community representative. The Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom and does not influence the work of news reporting and editing staffs. For questions about the board or our editorials, email matt.misterek@thenewstribune.com

This story was originally published July 27, 2021 at 8:00 PM.