Ohio Sheriff Sues County Head in Struggle Over Agency Control

The sheriff of one of Ohio’s largest counties sued the county executive who nominated him, claiming the latter is illegally encroaching on the former’s power by wresting control of some department operations.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Harold Pretel wants a judge to declare that his department—which patrols the county that includes Cleveland—is independent and can only be overseen by someone qualified under state law to serve in his capacity. This includes control of its human resources employees, employee assignment decisions, and fiscal management duties, which County Executive Chris Ronayne (D) has either taken control of or attempted to since 2024, according ...