Del Norte County supervisors appointed Garrett Scott to the vacant position of sheriff in an unanimous decision that took the Board less than five minutes to make Tuesday.

Scott, a former Crescent City Police Department lieutenant, is running unopposed for Del Norte County sheriff in the June 7 primary election. He will serve out the “current unexpired term” as interim sheriff through Jan. 3, 2023.

“I’ve talked to all of you a couple of different times,” Scott told supervisors. “The outpouring of support has been really helpful to me. I think we’re going to make a huge difference and we’re going to bring the sheriff’s department up to what this community desires.”

Scott is coming into a law enforcement agency that’s currently experiencing a staffing crisis, both in the jail and in its patrol division.

Scott is taking the position over from former appointed sheriff, Randy Waltz, who resigned in March amid felony election and voter fraud charges that has since been reduced to one misdemeanor election fraud charge.

On Tuesday, before the unanimous vote, District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey said she was beyond excited to have Scott step in as sheriff.

“I know you officially weren’t expected to start, should you have won, until January, but you’re here in May,” Starkey said. “You’re here and you’re ready to take on an enormous task and I want you to know and I want the whole sheriff’s office to know that the Board of Supervisors will be there to support you in any way that we can.”

According to Tuesday’s special meeting agenda, Scott’s proposed starting salary will be $4032.59 biweekly, which is Range E-2, Step A on the county’s elected department head salary schedule.

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