The upcoming race for Athens County sheriff is set to be the incumbent's last.
Sheriff Vern Castle said that after almost eight years on the job, he has decided to make the election late next year his final run.
I certainly don't have any intention (to run after 2008)
Castle said.
Citing age ' not burnout ' as his reason, Castle will be 64 by the end of the next four-year term and has been in law enforcement since 1981, when he was hired as a jailer in a former Athens jail.
The sheriff's annual salary is $67,482, according to the Athens County Auditor's office.
Castle said that he will eventually retire to a 100-acre farm in Athens County that has about 20 head of cattle and a few horses.
For years most of my life I've been involved in farming
and that's what I'd like to do
he said.
After taking office in January 2001, Castle had not planned on running again in 2004, but his endorsed successor, Captain Shane Hartley, had been called upon for active duty with the Ohio National Guard.
Castle is still unsure about whether his future retirement would include more law enforcement.
If we had a good sheriff
someone I respected
I would definitely come back and help him
Castle said.
Pat Kelly, a former Athens County sheriff's deputy and previous candidate for sheriff, will challenge Castle for the Democratic nomination early next year.
Castle was last elected in 2004 by more than 9,000 votes over Kelly, according to the Athens County Board of Elections office.
As the only elected law enforcer in the county, Castle and his department's responsibilities include serving court papers, enforcing law in small towns without police stations and assisting officers within his countywide jurisdiction.
Democratic primaries take place on March 4, 2008, and elections will be Nov. 4, 2008.
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