By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Lewis County Sheriff-elect Rob Snaza won’t be sworn in until Dec. 30, but is already busy planning for changes.
According to the results of the election certified and made official yesterday morning, Snaza took 77 percent of the vote. His opponent Brian Green garnered not-quite 23 percent.
Sheriff-elect Rob Snaza
Snaza, the Napavine area Republican who’s worked at the sheriff’s office about two decades, met with the Lewis County Board of Commissioners before lunchtime, to discuss some of what will be different under his administration.
“Schools are huge, our number one emphasis in 2015,” Snaza said.
He spoke of deputies working more closely with students, and his plans for “active shooter” drills in school buildings.
Specifically, the reason for the meeting was to talk about the transition of the emergency management division out of the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Steve Mansfield is the director of emergency management, and will leave office at the end of the year.
“Some years ago, the board of county commissioners made the sheriff the head of that,” Lewis County Commissioner Lee Grose said. “The thinking has been, we should have a full time manager; and we’re looking for one now.”
The issue of schools came up as they spoke of logistics, and Snaza said he’d need that office space for a new special services sergeant, someone who would oversee a variety of programs.
Snaza told Commissioners Grose and Edna Fund he hoped next month to introduce to them his undersheriff, a captain with the Washington State Patrol he’s known for 20 years.
Snaza began attending the sheriff’s monthly meetings with county commissioners about the same time he was promoted from sergeant to undersheriff in early September.
His campaign for the top law enforcement job began in April of last year.
His only opponent, a musician in a band who ran as an independent and focused on preserving gun rights, took 5,144 votes in the Nov. 4 election. Snaza got 17,546 votes.
Snaza’s twin brother John Snaza was elected Thurston County sheriff in 2010.
Already the two of them have announced a joint event in which they will be “jailed” in a cell in the food court at Capital Mall in Olympia next month, and challenge the public to raise at least $20,000 by “bailing” them out.
The idea is to build awareness of the importance of mentoring
and to raise money to ensure more kids have consistent role models through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Washington.
The benefits can be seen in the juvenile justice system, according to Sheriff John Snaza.
The average cost to incarcerate a juvenile for a nine to 12 month period is approximately $66,000 to $88,000, according to the Thurston County sheriff.
“Every day I see cases where a child without a trusted role- model wanders down a destructive path,” Sheriff John Snaza stated in a news release yesterday. “What a difference it would make if even one of these youth had a mentor,” continues Snaza.
The so-called “Big Bail Out” with the twin sheriffs will take place from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Dec. 2.
Also from the final results of the election:
• Centralia attorney Wade Samuelson was elected Lewis County District Court judge. He ran unopposed for the four-year term and replaces retiring Judge Michael Roewe. Ten-year veteran of the bench, Lewis County DIstrict Court Judge R.W. Buzzard was unopposed and secured another term.
• Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, (R), unopposed, won a second four-year term.
• Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod, (R), also unopposed, won a second four-year term. McLeod says the board of commissioners have agreed to fund his position full time beginning next year, instead of the traditional part time.
• Lewis County Clerk Kathy Brack, (R), first elected in 2002, ran unopposed and won another four-year term.
• Arny Davis, (R), ran unopposed and will be the new Lewis County treasurer, replacing outgoing Rose Bowman.
• Larry Grove, (R), with 70 percent of the vote, beat Jennifer Slemp, (D), to become Lewis County auditor. Longtime Auditor Gary Zandell is retiring.
• Gary Stamper, (R), took 54 percent of the vote against Rich Bainbridge, (R), to become one of three members of the Lewis County Board of Commissioners, replacing Grose.
• The race for Lewis County assessor is so close, a required hand recount will be conducted on Monday. Incumbent Dianne Dorey, (R), has 10,691 votes, while Candy Hallom, (R), has 10,662.
See all the election results here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Your “girl” should not be such a hypocrite then…..
Re: Darren , my Girl Lisarae is not on any gub’ment help as you so elegantly stated. She makes roughly about 50 grand a year working her ass off and paying her tax’s. She is the person who notices all the crap the rest of us miss , because we are stupid. I am old enough to be her Mother yet I turn to her when I do not always understand all the politics. I wish she would run for office , but she does not suffer fools gladly as the saying goes . She probably would not last long as she is honest , loyal , and trustworthy three things we do not see too much in politics today. I voted for Snaza , I know little about him as I have never been in trouble with the law , guess we will see . This is not a easy job. I am sure he can use all our prayers. The rest of you should be glad that there are folks smart like lisarae out there to watch.
Lewis County, the cesspool of pathetic~
And bitching about it is reserved for trailer queens.
Go claim your gub’ment assistance and return to Walmart.
Lol…..I wouldnt run for public office of any sort. That is reserved for liars, crooks, and thieves, and then those charming tolls that vote for them.
I thought Ross McDowell was already the Emergency Services manager, since he was always the go-to guy for media interviews. Had no idea Mansfield’s been “it.”
And sunshinegirl, how long have you lived here? You’ve been “surrounded” by Repos for years. Not sure, but I think Eric Johnson is the only Demo to win an election in LewCo since I moved to the area in 1993.
Lisarae,
Take that energy you have to bitch with and get off your ass & run for office or zip it and let the ones that took initiative to run do their elected duties!
Hey Sunshinegirl, my dear sweet friend, remember the conversation we had about the controversy here regarding party affiliation and position, as in clerk, coroner, etc. The clerk here, clearly violated state law by affiliating herself with the R’s, and got elected anyways. The rules only apply to some, under circumstances which benefit them. Looks like the idiots of LC have the same problem. Not sure if that is state law there, but it clearly is here. And then they sit and bitch and complain about the lame “justice” system, or lack of, then turn around a re-elect the same useless clowns. Samuelson is a worthless attorney, he will make a fine judge Im sure~
Does this mean Marijauna is now legal in Lewiscounty?
Now that the election is over, it would be interesting to see how much money and time the police department has had to spend on Brian’s request for information filings.
My money is on Mansfield getting the position.
Do you think Bo D. Rupert will be able to get the Emergency Service Manager’s position? I mean he came all the way from Oklahoma to run a campaign for Brian Green and ran that pretty good on his terms. Maybe he will be able to come up with some video for YouTube on this position to. I am sure he will find something under the laws of the constitution that the position is not legal. I am very surprised he did not ask for a re-count on the sheriff vote. Good luck to Rob Snaza as sheriff he was and is a good person for the job.
So do you think that they already have a favorite for the Emergency Service Manager’s position? Should be interesting to see who’s relative gets that job.
The first thing Snaza needs to do is take a close look at his detective squad and their management and see why some citizens get justice and others do not. But he is one of the good old boys so I think it will be business as usual.
I see what you mean sunshine but many of these offices should be non-partisan. For example does it matter what party the coroner is or the treasurer, or clerk? They do their jobs irregardless of their party affiliations.
When party lines really come down to importance is when the position can make laws, ordinances or raise and lower taxes.
Besides being a republican county in a democrat state is kinda cool I think.
Good Lord I am surrounded by Republicans !!! I always suspected I was.