Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds was the featured speaker at the monthly Republican luncheon on Monday afternoon.
Sheriff Dodds shared that the office of sheriff was the first county office established in the United States.
He said Thomas Jefferson once referred to the sheriff as “the most important of all the executive offices of the county.”
Dodds said that after Ohio became a state in 1803, William Skinner was elected as the state’s first sheriff, however, Logan County did not see a sheriff until 1818.
Nicholas Pickeral was its first sheriff, and there have been 40 elected sheriffs in Logan County’s history.
In describing the day-to-day operations, the sheriff’s office operates and maintains the county jail, provides courthouse security, conducts civil process, and is responsible for keeping the peace throughout the county.
Inside the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, there are multiple divisions and roles, including (but not limited to) a patrol division, detective division, court security, dog warden, solid waste deputy, school resource officers, and much more.
Dodds also talked about the size and scope of the county he serves.
Logan County includes over 46,000 residents, spans 432 square miles, and contains 922 miles of roadway.
The sheriff said that his office is always hiring, and expressed concern about the upcoming contract negotiations.
He went on to say his office may face a tighter budget in 2026.
The sheriff’s office is primarily funded through local sales tax revenue, and according to County Auditor Jack Reser, sales tax collections have seen a recent decline.
