One thing the two Republican candidates running for sheriff agree on: current Sheriff Ezell Brown is lacking in the leadership necessary to run the office.
Both Bill Watterson and Phillip Bradford addressed a crowd of about 30 people Monday evening at a GOP debate. They both expressed a concern for the youth of the county, for the budget and for strong leadership, fiscal responsibility, solid relationships with county commissioners, looking at the pay scale of deputies and, of course, stomping out crime.
Watterson said that the projected 2012 budget of $19.2 million is "a lot of money that the taxpayers are paying, and we need to be very responsible for those funds... We can have a better sheriff's office and that is my goal in a nutshell."
Bradford said "it's kind of a secret" what currently happens with money at the NCSO and that his "stance is going to be against all crime - if you're breaking the law, then you're going to be held accountable."