A New Sheriff in Town?

There’s still almost 11 months until voters decide on a new sheriff for Cherokee, but David Waters isn’t waiting.

Driven by the 1971 murder of his sister in Cherokee County, Waters said he has been dedicated to law enforcement and can bring a new level empathy to the victims of crimes.

Because his family has been victimized, Waters said he would “Be better at making decisions that would benefit the victims of our county.”

Waters also plans to tackle the budget and the big ticket items that are being bought, he said.

“We’re spending too many tax dollars,” Waters said. “I don’t think, I know for a fact we are. The reason we need to cut back is because the economy is the worst I’ve ever seen. I’d venture to say most people in our society are saying the same thing.”

Some of the first cuts Waters said he would make would be replacing the current Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs with Crown Victoria’s to save money on gas and vehicle costs.

Waters described the current as being “top heavy” in that there are “too many captains.”

“That one captain represents more than $100,000 annually,” Waters said. “I’m not saying we don’t need the employees—I’m saying we don’t need the high–ranking employees. We can be more effective and efficient with fewer commanders.”

The additional costs of a captain include salary, uniforms, training, weapons, education and retirement.

Waters is a lifelong resident of Cherokee County who first started his law enforcement career here in 1978. Since then he worked with the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit  District Attorney’s Office and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, according to his campaign website.