Clearwater County Commissioners appoint John Smith as Sheriff

OROFINO - Clearwater County Commissioners by a 2/3 majority (Commissioner Ken Harvey abstained) announces the appointment of John Smith to serve as Clearwater County Sheriff for the remainder of the term currently held by Sheriff Chris Goetz and issued the following information.

Goetz has announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2026, after years of dedicated service to the citizens of Clearwater County. The Commissioners extend their appreciation to Goetz for his commitment to public safety and leadership within the Sheriff's Office.

The appointment follows a nomination process conducted by the Clearwater County Republican Central Committee (CCRCC). During the Commissioner's meeting on Monday, June 15. The Commissioners met with the Chairman of the CCRCC, Shelby Davis, to review the procedures followed during the CCRCC June 10 meeting, at which three nominees were selected for consideration to complete the remainder of Goetz's term.

The nominees presented to the Commissioners were: John Smith, Matt Gifford and Gian Tozzini.

The Commissioners recently reviewed the process for filling the upcoming vacancy for Sheriff and discussed the nominations submitted by the CCRCC as required by state law.

Under state statute, the CCRCC is responsible for selecting and submitting three nominees to the Commissioners. Their authority is limited to selecting one individual from the three nominees presented and does not extend to directing or overseeing the CCRCC's nomination process.

During the discussion, the Commissioners questioned Davis regarding the manner in which the nominees were selected and the level of transparency involved in the process. They specifically inquired about how individual precinct committeemen voted, noting that precinct committeemen are elected to represent citizens within their respective voting districts. Davis said the precinct committeemen voted by secret ballot and those ballots have been destroyed.

Davis explained that precinct committeemen were afforded the opportunity to ask questions of each candidate during the selection process. However, he was unable to provide the Commissioners with a list of the questions that were asked.

Prosecuting Attorney Clayne Tyler advised the Commissioners that they had two options under the law: select a replacement from the three nominees immediately or wait until Goetz officially vacates the office before making an appointment.

Davis indicated that the CCRCC would submit the same three nominees regardless of when the appointment was made and did not anticipate any changes to the list of candidates.

The Commissioners emphasized that while they are responsible for appointing the next sheriff from the nominees provided, it has no authority over the CCRCC's internal selection procedures. The Commissioners will continue to follow all statutory requirements as it works to ensure a smooth transition in county law enforcement leadership.