By DAVID IZRAELEVITZ
Candidate
Los Alamos County Sheriff

Record-breaking Tenures, Multiple Court Battles, And Other Fun Facts About The Los Alamos Sheriff:

My time discussing my campaign for Sheriff with the voters of Los Alamos, along with my own research, has highlighted some common questions and interesting facts about this position. Not all of these tidbits are relevant to your decision-making process regarding the election, but I think they are all curious in one way or another. Los Alamos is special in many ways, and our County Sheriff is no exception!

FACT: Los Alamos holds the record for the longest-serving Sheriff in New Mexico history

Old-timers may remember Louis Rojas, our Sheriff who served on and off beginning in the mid 1950’s for a total of 34 years. He was a beloved “institution,” elected time and time again. Upon retirement, he was honored as a Los Alamos Living Treasure, and if you visit his grave at Guaje Pines, you’ll see his grave adorned with his sheriff’s badge. Before term limits, I believe his first gap in service was in 1975, just in time for the first Sheriff drama, which brings us to the next FACT:

FACT: Los Alamos County has been sued twice by the Sheriff.

Although Sheriff Rojas had been fine for two decades without performing any law enforcement duties until his retirement in 1974, newly minted Sheriff Vaughn sued in 1976 on this issue. He first lost in court and then lost the position of Sheriff when Rojas returned to the ballot, serving again for another decade.  In 2016, Sheriff Lucero sued Los Alamos County over the same issue, and he also lost in court. I suspect that legal and court fees associated with these lawsuits are the most costly part of the Sheriff’s position over time. The repeated drama surrounding the Sheriff led the County Council to establish the next FACT:

FACT: The duties of the Sheriff were substantially reduced by the County Council in 2016.

Arguments about the role of the Sheriff led the County Council to revisit our “mini-constitution,” called our Home Rule Charter. This document permits the Council to assign duties to specific county departments, so they used this power to further limit the Sheriff’s duties. Except for one role, all other duties were transferred to the Police Department a decade ago. The only remaining legally permitted duty of the Sheriff’s Office is oversight of the sex offender registry, as specified by NM state law, which brings us to the next FACT:

FACT: Almost all duties related to the sex offender registry are done by the Police Department anyway.

Because they are the ones with the training and certifications to do this, Police staff interview offenders, update the registry database, and attend training sessions. The Sheriff may accompany the Police during spot inspections to ensure offenders live where they say they do, but this is not a regular responsibility. Because of this minimal responsibility, the Sheriff’s budget has been reduced by almost a factor of five in the last decade and now covers only the Sheriff’s salary and benefits, some training for police staff, and some ancillary costs. Even with this minimal set of duties, the Sheriff position cannot be abolished by the Council, which brings us to the next FACT:

FACT: Only the citizens of Los Alamos can abolish an elected position, as was done in years past for the positions of Treasurer and Surveyor.

When Los Alamos first became a County, we had both a County Treasurer and a County Surveyor. Since then, both positions have been voted out, and their duties have been delegated to other departments. However, although the County Council can, and has, reduced the Sheriff’s role, the position itself can only be abolished by an amendment to our Charter. In 2016,  there was a failed vote to abolish the Sheriff’s position, so it is certainly legal to do so, which brings us to the next FACT:

FACT: A sitting Sheriff has no direct role in abolishing their own position, but can educate the public, consult with the County Attorney, and encourage the Council to promote this effort.

The most direct way to abolish the Sheriff’s position is for the Council to pass a resolution establishing appropriate wording of a charter amendment and a schedule for a ballot measure to be presented for a public vote. It was exactly this way that the positions of Treasurer and Surveyor were erased from our Charter. Having a Sheriff supportive of ending the position just makes the process smoother and avoids the possibility of further litigation by a disgruntled office holder. If the Council goes ahead, the most cost-efficient way for Los Alamos citizens to have the final say would be in November 2028, thus avoiding a special election. And, if my efforts to abolish the Sheriff’s position are successful, I plan to hold a celebration at the subject of the last FACT:

FACT: Sheriff’s Posse Lodge is not a County facility and is completely unrelated to the Sheriff’s Office.

I have been asked many, many times what would happen to the Sheriff’s Posse Lodge, the log cabin near the stables, if the Sheriff position were abolished. People love their pancake breakfasts, and so do nonprofits that get a nice check from their fundraising. One need not worry, because, unlike Fuller Lodge, the Sheriff’s Posse Lodge is privately owned and managed by a local nonprofit, the Los Alamos County Sheriff’s Posse, hence the name. There is no relationship between the Sheriff’s Posse and the County Sheriff. Nevertheless, it’s a very nice facility that I used recently for a campaign event. I encourage you to contact them for your next celebration!

The above facts provide better context for my campaign. Yes, I think I would make a better sheriff than my opponent, but only because I believe I have a better understanding of the sheriff’s limited role in Los Alamos. In fact, the sheriff’s role is so limited that receiving a salary for the position is a waste of taxpayer funds, which is why I pledge to donate any salary to worthy Los Alamos nonprofits.

I appreciate and have enjoyed the many conversations and questions throughout my campaign for Los Alamos Sheriff, and I ask for your vote one last time. Polls close June 2.