I read the recent article about Jeff Bearce being hired as a lieutenant for the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.

Bearce is to be congratulated and should know that everyone who knows him is happy to hear that he is recovering from his illness and is back to work doing what he does best.

The taxpayers of Kennebec County had the wisdom to elect Sheriff Randy Liberty, who I know to be absolutely committed to providing the county with the best law enforcement services while reducing the tax burden to the citizens he serves.

Hiring Bearce is a perfect example of achieving this goal. He comes to the Sheriff’s Office with tens of thousands of dollars of training already having been completed, and 24 years of experience that you cannot put a price on. The amount of tax dollars that the Sheriff’s Office had to pay for all of this is zero.

In my opinion, the decision to hire Bearce not only makes Liberty an equal opportunity employer (potentially saving the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in discrimination lawsuits), but also clearly indicates that he is a good businessman, a law enforcement official who doesn’t just say is going to save the taxpayers money, but actually does it.

I hope that everyone in Kennebec County will continue to support the Sheriff’s Office and continue to re-elect Liberty, who saves us all money by hiring highly trained and experienced individuals such as Bearce.

James Hamilton

Waterville