According to the Washington County Sheriffs Department, Sheriff Bill Hutton has announced that he will leave his current position to accept the job of Executive Director of the Minnesota Sheriffs Association. The current director, 14 year veteran, Jim Franklin, will leave the office on April 30th with Hutton set to begin on May 1st. The announcement comes as Hutton is midway into his 3rd term as the top law officer in Washington County. He has suggested that Deputy Dan Starry, in that position for nearly 7 years, should be appointed to replace him. It is typical for a second-in-command to move to the top spot, as there is no special election framework to replace the Sheriff.
