Shoshone County Elections Vergobbi Vs. Waters: Incumbent Commissioner Rejected Primary Defeat

November 2, 1996, page B3, Idaho edition: CHALLENGERS ATTACK SHOSHONE SHERIFF In the race for Shoshone County sheriff, most of the campaign revolves around the record of incumbent Dan Schierman. While his challengers question his management, Schierman says he’s improved relations with other law enforcement agencies and improved the tools and training for deputies. Write-in candidate Larry Irvine blames most of the department’s turnover on Schierman’s poor management. Independent candidate Tim Castle also questions whether employees are happy with Schierman. “He is spending a tremendous amount of money training officers who wind up working for other police agencies,” Castle said. Those criticisms of Schierman were attributed inadvertently to county Commissioner Jim Vergobbi in an article that appeared in Thursday’s Election ‘96 voters guide.

Two close primary races in Shoshone County prompted the losers to run write-in campaigns for sheriff and county commissioner in the general election.

Sheriff Dan Schierman is up against Independent candidate Tim Castle and write-in candidate Larry Irvine.

In the commissioner’s race, Sherry Krulitz is running unopposed in District 2. Jim Vergobbi would be running unopposed for the District 1 position, except incumbent Gary Waters refused to accept defeat in the primary election, which he only lost by 29 votes.

Waters is just finishing up a two-year term on the commission. He’s operated a garbage-hauling business for 26 years in the Silver Valley.

He’s campaigned on the notion that the county needs a representative from the Osburn and Wallace area, and on a plank of stopping wasteful spending.

“I’ve run a business for 26 years, and I know what a budget is,” he said. “I know how to cut expenses.”

Vergobbi served on the county commission for six years, but lost a re-election bid in 1990. He decided to return to politics because he believed he could govern more effectively than Waters.

Because of discord between Waters and the other commissioners, Vergobbi said Waters seems to be running against the other commissioners - instead of against Vergobbi.

County sheriff’s race: Schierman vs. Castle, Irvine

In the sheriff’s race, the criticism is generally falling squarely on Schierman.

While his challengers question Schierman’s management, the sheriff has continued to run on his record of improving relations with other law enforcement agencies and improving the tools and training for deputies.

Since Schierman became sheriff in 1993, the department has acquired two drug-sniffing dogs and trained deputies to handle the dogs. The department also now has a DARE officer and won grants for new police equipment.

Schierman also points to an increase in drug arrests as reason to re-elect him.

Irvine, a former Las Vegas police sergeant, and Castle, a former police officer who operates a private security firm, are unimpressed with Schierman’s record.

They contend that Schierman has inadequately staffed the swing and night shifts, leaving deputies unsupervised and with little or no backup.

Vergobbi blames most of the turnover in the department on Schierman’s poor management. Castle, too, questions whether employees are happy with Schierman.

“He is spending a tremendous amount of money training officers who wind up working for other police agencies,” Vergobbi said.

Schierman sighs when he hears the accusation, and ticks off the reasons that more than a dozen officers left his department, including deaths, retirements, relocations for better pay and two disciplinary situations.

“They’re just taking a cheap shot,” Schierman said of his opponents.

, DataTimes