HUNTINGTON -- Cabell County Sheriff-elect Tom McComas continues to savor this week's victory, as he takes down political signs and ponders the look of his administration.

Molding the new administration requires the victor to appoint chief deputies to supervise law enforcement and tax divisions within the Sheriff's Office. McComas has not named either appointment, but is scheduled to meet with possible candidates this weekend.

The incoming sheriff said honesty and loyalty are important character traits for both appointments.

"I'm not saying I want a yes man. As matter of fact, that is the farthest thing I want," he said. "I want somebody that is loyal, understands the objectives I want to have for the department; but if I'm about ready to make a decision that he thinks is unwise or something that will not have the desired effect, I want this person to have the freedom and the tenacity to say 'Listen. I disagree.'"

McComas will replace Kim Wolfe, who could not seek a third term because of term limits. Wolfe instead ran for Huntington mayor and won in that contest in Tuesday's general election.

McComas promised to take a more hands-on approach in managing the office. He worked under Wolfe's administration for more than seven years. He viewed that sheriff as taking a hands-off approach, which allowed his chief deputies to be the ones in charge.

"That's not to be construed that I'm going to be a micromanager," he said. "I'm going to be out in the public. You can't find out if your people are doing what your directions are, unless you're out there inquiring with the people and out there personally seeing the job get done."

The current chief deputies -- Jim Scheidler (law enforcement) and Tom Bell (tax) -- will leave the department. Bell hopes to gain a place in Wolfe's mayoral administration, while Scheidler moves toward retirement. McComas defeated Scheidler by 6,499 votes in the race for sheriff, according to unofficial results.

McComas said the new chief deputy of law enforcement will come from within the Sheriff's Office. He said the chief will be someone with experience and rank, preferably a lieutenant or sergeant. That narrows the pool of candidates to 12 deputies.

"As the old saying goes, I bleed black and gray with the Sheriff's Department," he said.

The sheriff-elect said he will hire Scheidler's replacement through civil service.

McComas will use a different strategy in selecting a chief tax deputy. He will evaluate current personnel, but he did not close the door to appointing an outsider to supervise that portion of the Sheriff's Office.

McComas has said he would reorganize law enforcement within the Sheriff's Office. Those efforts include shifting the deputies from an eight-hour to a 10-hour schedule and evaluating participation in two federal task forces. Those task forces are managed by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.

McComas said he will continue Sheriff's Office participation in the FBI's Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force. He also vowed to keep a drug investigations component within his office, but he said it may look different than the current two-deputy team.

Redundancy between the Sheriff's Office and Huntington Police Department is a concern, McComas said.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Cabell County Sheriff-elect Thomas W. McComas is considering his administration after winning the election this week.

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