Perelman “absolutely” running again in 2022.
Nantucket County Sheriff Jim Perelman could be in line for a 10 percent pay raise after state lawmakers voted this week to modify the formula that determines the compensation for county sheriffs in Massachusetts. Perelman said this week that he would welcome the increase, of course, as he has not had a raise or had his salary adjusted for the cost of living in more than six years. An amendment to the 2022 state budget would tie sheriff compensation to the $171,561 annual salary for district attorneys, with the Nantucket County Sheriff getting 57 percent of that amount, the Dukes County (Martha’s Vineyard) Sheriff getting 71 percent, and all other county sheriffs getting 90 percent. The formula would increase Perelman’s salary to approximately $108,000.
“I’m not sure who figured it out that way, but they figured since Nantucket doesn’t have a jail, I don’t have to get as much,” Perelman said. “They don’t take into consideration that Nantucket’s cost of living is more than any other county. But I’m happy with what I make. Would like to make more? Of course I would. But I didn’t run for the office because of the money.”
The Nantucket County Sheriff’s office is the only one in the state that does not operate a jail or correctional facility. The island’s sheriff office has a small staff of three full-time employees and some part-time staffers, and its primary duty is transporting prisoners to and from the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. The Nantucket sheriff is also responsible for serving civil process such as eviction notices and court-ordered child support, resolving landlord-tenant disputes, and handling sheriff sales of real estate in foreclosure cases. Perelman has gotten involved with numerous community programs and also assists the Nantucket Police Department in a variety of functions.
A former island restaurateur, caterer, and court officer, Perelman was elected Nantucket County Sheriff in 2010 after defeating two-term incumbent Richard Bretschneider in a landslide. He was reelected in 2016, and Perelman told the Current this week that he “absolutely” plans to run again when his current term is up in 2022.
