The idea of a recall election is upsetting for many people. Our democratic process was followed, and many believe that a recall serves only to take away their vote.

In fact, the recall is an integral part of our democratic process.

In the last contentious sheriff’s race, many voters turned out and cast their vote with the hope that our sheriff’s department and county would become a better place.

Every single person who voted did so with the hope that no matter who won the election, improvements would be made by the victor.

The previous sheriff was unseated, and the current sheriff took over. He was offered support in his new role, even from people who didn’t support him during the campaign.

It was a very short time before it became apparent that he was, and still is, incapable of bringing about the positive changes that we all hoped for.

Instead of repairing the county’s reputation and progressing forward, he has unjustly fired employees who have gotten their jobs back with retroactive pay.

He has earned himself a spot on the District Attorney’s Office Brady List due to his dishonesty.

He has alienated the entire Board of Supervisors, resulting in a unanimous vote of “no confidence” against him.

He has created division, instead of cooperation, between the sheriff’s department and nearly every other agency in Lake County.

He has broken promise after promise to those who supported him.

He has created over $50,000 in legal fees for a Southern California law firm to collect while defending him because he has difficulty with the truth. Those fees were paid by taxpayers, not the current sheriff. The legal fees will continue to increase as time goes on.

A recall election won’t take away anyone’s vote. Those votes have already been taken away – by the current sheriff.

A recall election will give us the chance to have our votes back.

A recall election will give us another chance to find the right person to lead the sheriff’s department forward.

A recall election will give us the opportunity to once again be proud to call Lake County home.

Brian Martin lives in Lakeport, Calif. He has declared his intention to run for sheriff of Lake County.