Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 18, Number 48, DeMotte, Jasper County, 29 October 1948 — Length Of Sheriff's Terrm To Be Voted On [ARTICLE]

Length Of Sheriff's Terrm To Be Voted On

Hoosier Voters To Decide On Amendment Asking for 4-Year Term Instead of Two Years Voters will decide at the polls in November on the term of county sheriffs office. At present the office is a two-year term and the amendment asks that it be changed to a four-year term, effective January 1. 1951. Under the present law a county sheriff has barely had time to organize his set up his administration and get into the routine of his job before he has to start campaigning again. Law enforcement is not something a new sheriff can step into and immediately put into running order, it has been pointed out. Those opposing the amendment claim that increasing the term to four years; as the two-year term permits voters to get rid of inefficient or unpopular officials sooner. But if that were a valid argument for setting term limits, a one-year term would be even more satisfactory, or even a sixmonth term. But it is up to the voters to see to it that they do no elect ineffecient or unpopular men to in the first place. Another argument for the fouryear term is that the term of office should be set to permit the office to run as efficiently as possible under the healthiest political conditions, and not merely to provide voters with an opportunity for rapid turnover. The other county offices with

a two-year term are, prosecutor, treasurer, coroner and surveyor and it may be advisable to change some of them to four-year terms. But at present the office of sheriff is the only one to be voted upon.