Former Sherwood chief hired to head Carlton Police Department

By Starla Pointer

The Sherwood Gazette, Jul 14, 2010, Updated Jul 14, 2010 (2 Reader comments)

Bill Middleton was recently named chief of the city of Carlton

File photo / Sherwood Gazette

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CARLTON — William “Bill” Middleton, longtime chief of police in Sherwood, will take over as chief in Carlton on July 21.

Councilors approved his hiring Monday night, putting an end to almost a year of discussion and debate about the future direction of local law enforcement.

Residents and their elected representatives talked for months about whether to continue a city police department or contract for coverage with the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. Eventually, the decision was to stay local.

During the debate, however, one of Carlton’s two officers resigned. Then Chief Frank Butler opted to retire two months before his contract was due to expire.

Among the new chief’s first duties will be hiring another officer to rebuild the department to a full staff of three — a chief and two officers.

Yamhill Chief Gordon Rise and his officers have been covering the city since midwinter, with the assistance of sheriff’s office patrol deputies.

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Middleton, 60, was hired on a two-year contract at an annual salary of $52,627.

The city will not have to pay into the Public Employee Retirement System on his behalf. That represents a significant savings for Carlton, according to City Manager Steven Weaver.

The contract requires the new chief to live within 30 miles of town. That will allow him to continue making his home in Sherwood, about 20 miles northeast.

Middleton served as chief in Sherwood for 13 years. Before that, he spent 20 years as chief in a small town in California.

When he took over in Sherwood in the early 1990s, the town had a population smaller than Carlton’s current 1,800. During his tenure, it grew to more than 13,000.

“He took a small department and built a professional program,” said Carlton Mayor Kathie Oriet, who was on the panel that interviewed finalists for the job.

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