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Honoring Gary Miller Of Annandale, Minnesota On His Retirement As Sheriff Of Wright County

Volume
Volume 157 , Number 45
Pages
Pages E584
Legislative Body
Extensions of Remarks
Date
Thu, March 31, 2011

Rep. Michele Bachmann

legislator photo
Party
R
State
MN

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Sheriff Gary Miller of Annandale for more than 30 years of service in law enforcement to Wright County, Minnesota. From his beginnings as a part time deputy in 1975, to his ten years as Sheriff of one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Minnesota, Sheriff Miller was a dedicated public servant whose contributions to his department and to Wright County cannot be measured.

While Wright County was growing rapidly, the Sheriff's department grew along with it, and Gary spent time in nearly every role as he rose through the ranks. The deputies under his leadership respected both him and his servant attitude. Sheriff Miller made a point to be a positive presence for the citizens he served and he was a familiar face in every city of Wright County.

During his term as Sheriff, Gary addressed a devastating growth in methamphetamine use helping to bring the number of methamphetamine labs in the county down to a near zero. Sheriff Miller also was known for his good fiscal management of the department, especially in recent years when the economy required lean management. One step towards this involved combining efforts with two other counties to create a state-of-the-art forensics lab that allows for quick and efficient processing of forensic evidence. In 2009, Sheriff Miller opened up a new law enforcement center and jail, a process that started only a year before he was first elected to Sheriff. That sense of completion is what led him to think about retirement, and his time as the county's highest law officer came to an end on January 3rd, 2011.

Like many counties across our Nation, the Sheriff's office in Wright County stands for justice and peace and we are grateful for all that they do to protect our families and neighborhoods. I ask this body, along with the Speaker of the House, to join with me in thanking Sheriff Gary Miller for his dedication to the Sheriff's department and to Wright County, Minnesota.