- Incumbent Sheriff Tom Reich faces challenger Mike Atayan in the upcoming Eaton County sheriff race.
- Atayan, a former county drain commissioner, has no full-time law enforcement experience but has served as a volunteer special deputy.
- Reich has served in law enforcement for 37 years, and plans to implement a sheriff-paramedic program.
- Watch the video above to see how the candidates compare.
For your convenience, the skimmable summary above is generated with the assistance of AI and fact checked by our team prior to publication. Read the full story as originally reported below.
The race for sheriff is between incumbent Sheriff tom Reich and challenger Mike Atayan, who has worked as county drain commissioner in the past.
Atayan has never worked full-time in law enforcement but says he previously served as a volunteer special deputy with the Eaton County Sheriff office, including time in the Mounted Division.
I asked both reich and Atayan why they want to be sheriff.
"I've been doing law enforcement for the last 37 years, of that last 12 years as the sheriff of Eaton County." Said Reich.
"I'm good with people, processes and budgets right now the sheriff's department needs major help and I'm the person to make that happen." Said Atayan
With funding issues looming over Eaton County, the tax limitation proposal has been a big topic. voters in November will be asked whether they want to pay more in property taxes, as county officials say the need is severe.
I asked each candidate about the tax proposal.
Atayan believes the sheriff department has enough money as it is
"I'm not in favor of raising the tax at this time." Said Atayan
'Let's work and see what we got right now" Said Atayan
Sheriff Reich has the opposite position.
he's told us budget constraints have led him to cut road patrol from midnight to 6am, and says if the tax vote fails the situation could get worse.
"I'm going to lose a bunch of people on the road, they are in jeopardy of losing the road patrol." Said Reich.
I asked the candidates what their top priority in office would be. Sheriff Reich wants to implement a sheriff-paramedic program which will train deputies to be paramedics.
What does that mean for neighbors in Eaton County?
"It means they can ensure that they not only have public safety, law enforcement, but they also provide medical attention if they need it." Said Reich.
Atayan emphasized his focus on staffing.
"The number one issue we have is the inability of the sheriff's department to properly maintain staffing levels, that concern will be eliminated, we're not going to have that in the future." Said Atayan.
Eaton County neighbors can already vote for sheriff if voting absentee. election day is November 5th.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
