The office’s annual budget of $5 million is funded by the Athens County Board of Commissioners and a small contribution from the state, Smith said. The sheriff’s office employs 47 people, including those who work as security officers at the Athens County Courthouse and those who staff the Athens County Dog Shelter. … I came back for a lot of reasons, but the main reason is for the safety and well-being of the community.” “But I had a lot of people keep asking me (to run). I really didn’t want to do that,” Smith said. “I really had no intention, to be honest, to come back and be a sheriff, which is also a politician. Kelly was found guilty of felony corruption charges in 2015, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Instead, he mounted a campaign for sheriff after his predecessor, Sheriff Pat Kelly, was charged with numerous crimes in 2013, including misusing public funds. He retired toward the end of 2013 with plans to become a reserve officer at the Athens Police Department. The Athens County Sheriff’s Office has jurisdiction over the entire county, which places about 62,500 people within its purview, according to 2020 Census data.Īthens County Sheriff Rodney Smith, an elected official who has been in his position since March 2014, is the office’s leader.īefore stepping into his current role, Smith worked 27 years as a lieutenant at the sheriff’s office.

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