Bend, Ore. – Deschutes County Sheriff Larry Blanton says he’ll retire next summer and plans to step down on July 1st, 2015.
The Bulletin reports that the 58 year old said it’s been and “honor and pleasure” to serve but not “it was time to do something different.”
Blanton has served as sheriff for 7 years and is recommending that Captain Shane Nelson replace him during the year or so before the 2016 election. He says he’ll back Nelson’s campaign.
The Bulletin reports the sheriff told Deschutes County Administrator Tom Anderson and the county commissioners of his decision last week and that he believes Nelson, commander of the sheriff’s corrections division, should get the job.
In the next step- Blanton will submit his recommendation to the county commissioners and then they’ll decide if they want to approve that idea.
The appointment would fill in the gap between July 1st and the 2016 election.
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