CHERRYFIELD, Maine — Barry Curtis, former state trooper who earlier this month was elected sheriff of Washington County, is not an easy man to find right now.
Curtis said Friday he’s not hiding out — he did go to the county commissioners’ meeting Thursday — but he is maximizing his time with his family before he takes office on Jan. 1.
He’s also decompressing from a fairly contentious campaign against current Sheriff Donnie Smith, who lost his re-election bid by more than 2,000 votes. Smith, a political independent, has served as Washington County’s sheriff since first being elected in 2006.
“It’s quite a relief to get it over with,” Curtis said of the election.
Smith sought to keep Curtis’ name off the ballot and that of Curtis’ Republican primary opponent by challenging their qualifications to run. Smith wrote a letter to the Maine secretary of state’s office last March, questioning whether Curtis had the mandatory minimum of five years’ workplace supervisory experience.
Smith’s challenge to keep Curtis off the ballot proved unsuccessful and resulted in a lawsuit against the sheriff that Smith’s supporters say was filed only a few weeks before the election in order to influence the outcome. In the lawsuit, 17 former sheriff’s department employees allege Smith violated Maine’s Freedom of Access law by obtaining and releasing confidential employment records without the permission of the employees or the Washington County commissioners.
Smith sent the information to the secretary of state’s office as part of his challenge to Curtis’ qualifications. The personnel information later was provided by state officials to the Bangor Daily News, which inadvertently posted it online for a short time in April. Neither the Maine secretary of state’s office nor the Bangor Daily News are named as defendants in the lawsuit — another sign, Smith’s supporters have said, that it was politically motivated.
Recent attempts to contact Smith, who lives in Lubec, have been unsuccessful.
Curtis ran on a platform mainly of ousting Smith and establishing a more collaborative approach between the sheriff’s department and other governmental and law enforcement agencies.
Since being elected in 2006, Smith has openly feuded with the Maine State Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine Sheriff’s Association, Washington County commissioners and the district attorney’s office for Hancock and Washington counties.
Curtis, who said he has not seen or spoken with Smith since the election, said Friday this combative approach has not been beneficial for Washington County residents. Agencies need to have a good working relationship with each other in order to provide effective services, he said.
“Some of the bridges got burned there a little bit,” Curtis said. “There’s not enough manpower [to go it alone].”
Curtis said he has not made any decisions about staffing at the sheriff’s office once he takes over
“There’s a lot of good guys down there,” he added.
Despite his eagerness to get to work, he said he plans to lay low through the end of the year.
“I’m anxious to step up and get into office, [but] I’m trying to fit in as much time with my family as I can,” he said.
