Mason resigns, Sharer is acting sheriff / By Martha Knight

SMETHPORT—Bradley Mason’s resignation as McKean County sheriff was official last Thursday, and chief deputy sheriff Jim Sharer became acting sheriff and acting jail warden the next day.

According to the county commissioners, Sharer is not assuming another office held by Mason, that of coordinator of emergency services. The head of the Emergency management Agency (or EMA) and 911, or dispatching service, Bruce Manning and Andrew Johnson respectively, will report directly to the commissioners.

The warden position is appointive, and Mason had been appointed by the commissioners. The coordinator position and the EMA and 911 heads also have been appointed by the commissioners, and those appointees serve at the pleasure of the commissioners.

Mason’s salary as sheriff had been reported as $53,123, and the warden position paid an additional $30,000. Certain salaries will be subject to decisions made by the commissioners at a special meeting to be held at the 911 Center next Tuesday evening, July 22, at 6 p.m.

Sharer had been chief deputy since January 2008. Most of that time the sheriff’s office has been in the McKean county jail, so administrative headquarters for the sheriff’s department and for the jail have been in convenient proximity.

Dave Stahlman and Rick Austin had been acting wardens, and are expected to “cover for” Sharer when needed.

Sharer has said he expects to continue sheriff and jail operations much as they have been during Mason’s tenure.

Mason is said to be doing “private security” work related to the gas and oil industry, in an Ohio location. He had taken 15 days (three weeks) of paid vacation from his positions in June, then asked the commissioners for additional unpaid leave as warden through July 14. This was granted.

Private security relating to the gas and oil production, waste disposal gas and oil transport is said to be “high opportunity” now, due to the boom in non-renewable energy activity. Pipelines, storage facilities, drilling platforms and other such require perimeter policing and access control. Some of the work consists of surveillance, including monitoring cameras, and electronic controls of barriers and of emergency measures are also involved in security operations. Mason is familiar with similar systems in use at the jail.