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John Daley ReportingJim Winder, (D) Candidate for S.L. Co. Sheriff: "He golfs a great deal of time. It's the worst kept secret in county government. (Question: when he should be working?) That's my opinion."
Aaron Kennard, (R) Salt Lake Co. Sheriff: "This is a political year and you're obviously doing it because it's the political season and my opponent brought it up to you."
Is he at the office or on the links? Questions are being raised about the golf habits of Salt Lake County's top law enforcement officer. Is he golfing when he should be working?
It's no secret in county government that Sheriff Aaron Kennard is an avid golfer, but according to scores posted on the Utah Golf Association website, it appears he's often golfing when most other county employees are working.
Golf is a favorite pastime for many a chief executive and longtime Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard admits he has a passion for it, even earning a 12 handicap and two career holes in one.
Aaron Kennard, (R) Salt Lake County Sheriff : "I'll take off at 2:00 or 3:00 and go golf on a Friday, if I can."
We found records of more golf than that on the Utah Golf Association website. We were directed there by one of his political opponents.
In the past ten weeks, scores posted show the Sheriff, who is paid 118-thousand dollars a year, golfed 24 rounds, each time 18 holes, which would typically take upwards of five hours to play.
13 of Kennard's rounds were played on regular work days, so in the past ten weeks, on a quarter of normal work days, the Sheriff is playing golf. He says on three of those dates rounds were either entered twice or on the wrong date, but otherwise makes no apologies.
Aaron Kennard, (R) Salt Lake County Sheriff: "When I'm golfing, I have a cell phone, I have a pager and my radio with me. I've been called off the golf course many times. When I participate in a club tournament or a state tournament, I'm the only one of 150 players that is allowed a phone because of my position. And I've been called off the course, when I played in state tournaments, when I played in club tournaments. So this job does not suffer one iota from my golf."
His Democratic opponent disagrees, pointing to Taylorsville splitting from the county as a sign of a Sheriff who's grown detached.
Jim Winder, (D) Candidate for S.L. Co. Sheriff: "It is 24-7 obligation. Now the question is going to be how often is he present for critical times, in which his presence is and should be expected."
According to the Utah Golf website, on the day the President arrived, met by a huge protest, the Sheriff was golfing.
Aaron Kennard, (R) Salt Lake County Sheriff: "(Question: Were you golfing when the president was in town?) Uh, the day that he came, I golfed that afternoon and then was with the party and the president that night, yeah."
The latest KSL/Dan Jones tracking poll shows Aaron Kennard way ahead of his opponent in the race for County Sheriff. 62-percent of Salt Lake County residents polled say they would vote for Kennard if the election were held today. 32-percent would vote for his opponent, Jim Winder.
