Murphy – Chief Deputy Justin Jacobs will perform former Cherokee County sheriff Dustin Smith's duties over the next month while the Cherokee County Republican Party Executive Committee comes up with a recommendation to fill the duration of former Smith’s term, which expires in December.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners held a special called meeting at the county courthouse Saturday afternoon to accept Smith’s resignation and to request the county GOP committee’s recommendation.
The board voted 4-0, with Ben Adams absent, to accept Smith’s resignation and request a replacement recommendation from the county GOP executive committee.
The county GOP is involved because Smith was elected as a Republican.
The executive committee has 30 days from noon Friday, Feb. 6, when Smith’s resignation took effect, to come up with a recommended replacement.
A similar process happened in late 2024 when newly elected commissioner Justin Hyde turned down the office. The county GOP executive committee took applications and selected Mark Stiles to fill Hyde’s position. Stiles is running unopposed in the March Republican Primary for the unexpired term.
Jacobs has a career in law enforcement and was chief of the Murphy Police Department, with Smith being his assistant chief, when Smith was elected sheriff and named Jacobs his chief deputy in 2022.
Smith resigned effective Friday (story here) after being asked to do so by District Attorney Ashley Welch over a pattern of problems during Smith’s tenure.
Smith had been running for reelection and was scheduled to attend Friday night’s candidate forum.