Four years after their first go-around, the same candidates sat down in the same room to debate their qualifications for the same position.
The race for Athens County sheriff is a rematch between Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly and Republican challenger Steve Kane, who debated on Tuesday for the first time since they ran against each other in 2008.
The candidates discussed their qualifications, the sheriff’s budget and the sheriff’s involvement with Ohio University students and commitment to veterans in the county.
In his opening remarks, Kelly said that he should be re-elected, because he has kept his promises from his 2008 campaign for sheriff.
“I surrounded myself with people who know things I don’t and can do things that I can’t,” Kelly said. “I’m very proud to be the Athens County Sheriff, and I look forward to four more years.”
Though Kelly sat in his seat while giving his opening remarks, Kane stood and spoke to the audience without using a microphone for his remarks, which touched on his loss to Kelly four years ago.
“When one door closes, another one opens,” Kane said. “But I still have a desire to serve.”
The first question posed to the candidates was about the sheriff’s budget.
“The budgets were rough. It was difficult, but we made it,” Kelly said. “With the help of the commissioners, we’ll balance the budget again this year.”
For the most part, Kane agreed with Kelly’s dislike for cuts from state funding for local level law enforcement, but Kane said that he would work better with the commissioners to get more money out of the budget.
Kane said he had strong ties to OU and graduated from the university himself. He said if elected, he would work to protect students by working with the Ohio University Police Department if campus officers asked for assistance.
But the sheriff’s office has “very little interaction” with students, said Kelly, who cited providing internships for OU students at the sheriff’s office as a commitment to students. Kelly said that although OUPD is responsible for students on campus, he would protect students living off campus if re-elected.
An audience member asked how Kelly, who served in Iraq in 2005, would make the sheriff’s office more accessible to veterans. Kelly said that he feels as though the office is very “veteran friendly.”
The Southeast Ohio Veterans Memorial Support Group will endorse Kelly’s campaign for re-election after Kelly’s performance at the forum, said Kevin Martin, director of the group.
“He spoke honestly, with experience, and he spoke the truth,” Martin said. “I will vote for him, and I support his campaign.”
The candidates were also asked about an audit from Ohio State Auditor Dave Yost that showed Kelly misused more than $14,000 from a “Furtherance of Justice” account.
Though the audit said Kelly should have used the sheriff office’s general fund, Kelly said the practice of spending funds from the Furtherance of Justice account and later reimbursing the funds is a standard practice of the office regardless if it is “right or wrong.”
Kane disagreed.
“This is a common sense fund,” Kane said. “I’m sorry, this doesn’t fly.”
jj360410@ohiou.edu
