Sheriff advances his retirement, will go today

Sheriff Bob Doyle notified county officials Tuesday that he was moving up his retirement date by several weeks, making today his last day in office.

Doyle’s resignation last month to accept a gubernatorial appointment to the state parole board surprised supervisors, who had to choose a new sheriff to fill the remaining three years of Doyle’s term.

In a rebuke to Doyle, the board chose Stanley Sniff Jr., a former assistant sheriff who spent 28 years in the department before he was fired by Doyle without explanation last year.

County spokesman Ray Smith said Assistant Sheriff Pat McManus would assume control of Sheriff’s Department operations until next week, when Sniff is expected to be sworn in.