Washington County commissioners appoint and swear in Barry Golding as interim sheriff

The Washington County Board of Commissioners on May 12 adopted a resolution appointing Barry Golding as interim Washington County Sheriff and immediately swore him into office.

A county commissioner moved to adopt resolution R 20 26 37 51 appointing Golding to finish the unexpired term of Sheriff Nate Brooksby; the motion received a second and the chair called for a voice vote. The chair declared the motion passed and congratulated Golding before arranging a brief ceremony to make the appointment official. The resolution was identified in the meeting as “R 20 26 37 51.”

Judge Bell, who administered the oath, framed the ceremony with a brief history of the sheriff’s office and praise for Golding’s record. "I'm deeply honored to be part of this ceremony here today," Judge Bell said during his remarks. He led Golding through the oath, which includes a pledge to "support, obey, and defend" the constitutions of the United States and the state.

After repeating the oath, Golding addressed those in the room to thank commissioners, his command staff and his family. "I am sincerely humbled, at the trust and and mere presence of all these people here, supporting me today," Golding said, and pledged to lead the sheriff’s office through the transition. He acknowledged his discomfort with public speaking while emphasizing his commitment to the job and to his staff.

The meeting opened with an invocation offered by Gerry Jager, identified in the meeting as the County Attorney, and a pledge of allegiance led by Gary Henderson. The chair invited attendees to pose for a photograph with the newly sworn sheriff and then adjourned the special meeting.

Next steps: the appointment was finalized through the board action at the meeting; no further procedural steps were announced on the record during this session.