Spotsy Sheriff's Race Heats Up

Lt. Col. Michael Timm's two challengers are criticizing him for sending a campaign mailer to the homes of sheriff's office employees assuring them that their jobs are safe no matter whom they support at the November election. At issue is if Timm used county resources to further his campaign.

The July 15 letter began arriving in mailboxes of Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office employees earlier this week. The letter can be viewed in a PDF attached to this article. Timm writes in the letter that politics will play no role in employment decisions if he is elected sheriff. Timm  is the office's public information officer and has the support of outgoing Sheriff Howard Smith.

"I made it perfectly clear that I will not dismiss any employee from service with our office due to politics," wrote Timm in the letter. "My philosophy is simply this: all of you have measured up to a given set of standards that were in place when you were hired. Therefore at that point, you obviously deserved to be here and further, I in clear conscience would never second guess that choice, no matter who hired you."

"There are many rumors flying around that I cannot control," wrote Timm. "However, what I can do through this document is afford you my promise that you will be welcomed to remain an employee of what I feel is the finest Sheriff's Office in the Commonwealth of Virginia."

Timm's opponents are Brian Bettis and Roger Harris.

Harris wrote a similar, but much shorter, message to his Facebook supporters on July 5 reassuring the public that he respects the privacy of deputies in political matters. His message was split between two status updates on his campaign's Facebook page. 

"As Sheriff, I will work to unite the department no matter who you vote for in November," wrote Harris. 

The letter that Timm wrote was sent using addresses from a Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office mailing list normally used to disburse Christmas cards and other letters, Timm said. Harris said Timm's letter was an improper use of county resources.

"It's not an abuse of Sheriff's department resources," said Timm in an interview. "It's something that the current sheriff did four years ago. He recommended that I consider doing it and I did it."

The job security reassurances serve to highlight what has become an increasingly contentious campaign. As the November election draws closer, sources within the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office are reporting that campaign divisions are seeping into the workplace, threatening to split employees along political lines. 

"It's gotten a whole lot more negative than I would have liked it to have gotten," said Timm. "I'm in the business of trying to extinguish fires and to control the rumor mill. All the deputies and the men and women of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Department need to do their jobs and leave the politics to the politicians."

"It's been so hostile and nasty around here, it's pathetic," said Sheriff's Deputy Barry Jett in a phone interview. Jett, whose wife is the Circuit Court clerk, had considered a run for sheriff's office last fall, but he never carried out with it because of political pressure from within the department. "I'm not scared anymore. What will take place, will take place, and I'm going to tell the truth to anybody who listens."

Jett alleges further campaign impropriety on the part of Timm, accusing him of discussing his campaign and handing out campaign signs during department roll call meetings as recently as June 8. 

Timm said he did have one-on-one campaign discussions at the sheriff's office, a process he said began in earnest in January. But he denies using the roll call meetings to disseminate campaign materials. When asked if he told employees assembled for roll call about available campaign signs, Timm answered, "No, I do not believe so."

Timm said he did use roll call meetings to discuss "factual information."

"I discussed some rumors that have been going around and tried to quash them," said Timm. "Basically, all I've been doing ... is trying to keep the employees abreast of factual information."

One deputy, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his employment, said that the campaign was beginning to distract employees from their duties. 

"We kid around and call it 'Spotsyltucky'," said the deputy. "But that's what it feels like. Something bad is going to happen if this keeps up, either a fist fight or something."