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| Four after job of Greene County sheriff |
| By thetelegraph.com |
| Published: 01/22/2010 |
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Two Democrats and two Republicans are running for Greene County sheriff in the Feb. 2 primary. Republican incumbent Rick Graham announced early last year that he would not seek re-election following his first elected term in office. The Democratic candidates are White Hall Police Chief Rob McMillen and Greene County Sheriff's Deputy Kerry Page. The Republican candidates are Deputy Mike Lovel and John R. Schild, a corrections officer with the Sheriff's Department. Lovel was the only candidate who did not submit a candidate survey to The Telegraph and did not return telephone calls seeking an interview. McMillen, 40, has served in law enforcement for almost 20 years. A 1987 graduate of North Greene High School in White Hall, he attended Lewis and Clark Community College for two years, majoring in criminal justice. In 1990, he graduated from Lincoln Land Police Training Center in Springfield. In 1990, McMillen was hired by the city of White Hall as a police officer and was promoted to chief in 1992. "As police chief, I feel I am a proven and tested leader who has strong leadership, management and organizational skills," McMillen said. He said he has had experience dealing with personnel issues, labor-related issues such as collective bargaining agreements and negotiations, worker's compensation laws and other federal and state labor relations issues. He said he takes pride in keeping his department compliant with all regulations. McMillen said he believes the biggest challenge will be the department's budget. Whoever is sheriff will need to work closely with the Greene County Board to ensure the department is funded adequately, he said. "I am prepared to spend countless hours going over department expenditures, line by line, to ensure that each dollar is being spent effectively," McMillen said. "I know when county revenues are down, you must take a closer look at operational costs. However, I am not in favor of lowering the number of deputies that the Sheriff's Department currently operates with. I believe that lowering the number of deputies would be detrimental to the safety of Greene County citizens and guests." McMillen said he also serves as the group health insurance administrator for the city of White Hall and assisted in securing a new health insurance provider that saved the city almost $40,000 in the first year of coverage and almost as much in succeeding years. McMillen, a North Greene School Board member since 2003 (he was re-elected to the position in 2007), also serves a Democratic precinct committeeman for White Hall Precinct 3. He and his wife, Mona, have been married 20 years and have one son, Brennan, a senior at North Greene High School. Page, 55, is a 1973 graduate of North Greene High School and received an associate degree in science in 1976 from Lewis and Clark Community College. Page served as a White Hall police officer for nine years, starting in 1980, then as a Carrollton police officer from 1989 until he began his career as a deputy with the Sheriff's Department in 1990, the position he currently holds. Page has served as Democratic precinct committeeman since 1990 and currently serves as county chairman of the Democratic Central Committee of Greene County. He said his main priority would be to make the Sheriff's Department as efficient, professional and hardworking as possible. "I believe I have the knowledge of the internal workings of the Sheriff's Office and county government, proven leadership ability, the experience to provide the direction it needs, to make changes where needed, to ensure it is a better agency at serving the people of Greene County," Page said. "I have the work ethic and dedication required of a true, honest-to-goodness 'working sheriff.'" Page said he would "work tirelessly" with the County Board and other elected office-holders to enhance services in a cost-effective manner and to seek grant opportunities to assist in upgrading equipment to improve services "the taxpayers and residents of the county so richly deserve." Page encourages anyone seeking more information about him or his goals, if elected, to visit his Web site at www.kpageforsheriff.org. "We must all work together to achieve our goals providing effective, cost-efficient public protection and enhance our safety," Page said. Page lives in Hillview. He is divorced and has one adult stepson. Schild, 33, started as a part-time corrections officer with the Sheriff's Department in 1998, serving two years prior to moving to full-time in 2000. A 1995 graduate of Carrollton High School, Schild earned an associate's degree in radio broadcasting from Lewis and Clark Community College in 1997, attended St. Clair County Corrections Academy and earned an associate's degree in criminal justice from Lewis and Clark Community College in 2005. He was elected as a member of the Carrollton School Board, serving from 1995 to 2000. "I believe my prior experience of serving on the Board of Education has given me a great understanding of budgets, grants and contracts," Schild said. "The sheriff is also in charge of the County Jail, and I believe my 11-plus years of experience in corrections would be a great asset in running the facility." Among Schild's priorities are encouraging rural residents to assist the Sheriff's Department by serving as "eyes and ears." He also wants to increase rural patrols. "When I ran for Greene County sheriff three years ago, 24-hour patrol was my Number One concern, and it still is today," Schild said. "I believe we must have a deputy on duty 24/7, ready to respond to calls. I have already come up with a schedule, with the current staffing of five deputies, that would allow for this, and it will go into effect within 30 days of my taking office." Read More. |
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