Four St. Mary’s county commissioners, crossing party lines, put their weight behind the appointment of new public safety director, former sheriff David Zylak, amid a single negative vote of a Republican commissioner.

The lone “nay” vote was cast by Larry Jarboe (R. Golden Beach).

Acting County Administrator John Savich announced David Zylak’s selection at the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday and called for the signing of his contract.

“We thoroughly support him (Zylak),” said Commissioner President Jack Russell (D. St. George Island), as Jarboe stood isolated after fellow Republican Kenny Dement (R. Piney Point) broke ranks with him to join hands with Russell and two other Democrat commissioners, Tom Mattingly (D. Leonardtown) and Dan Raley (D. Great Mills), both staunch advocates of Zylak as the most suitable person for the job.

Zylak, regarded by many as a gentleman policeman for his fair and honest dealings, lost against Sheriff Tim Cameron in elections last November.

Mattingly referred to the new public safety director as “Sheriff Zylak” and said he was well-respected not only in the police force, but also with emergency service workers and the community at large.

The motion to sign Zylak’s service contract was moved by Mattingly, and seconded by Raley.

“I believe St. Mary’s County is extremely fortunate. The candidates’ pool was pretty significant,” Raley said.

As many as seven candidates were initially interviewed for the position and names of four short-listed candidates were then forwarded to the St. Mary’s Board of County Commissioners for a final interview and decision last week.

Raley said there were four names of very good individuals and selecting the best person for the job was not an easy task. “Hopefully we will move one,” Raley said, in oblique reference to the stiff resistance of Jarboe.

Mattingly said he had personally reviewed each of the seven applications. “The process was very fair,” Mattingly said, expressing his anguish over some irresponsible kite-flying over the matter. “Sheriff Zylak did very well in all his interviews,” the three-term commissioner from Leonardtown said.

Raley said he was sure Zylak would reach out to Sheriff Tim Cameron. “Sheriff Zylak will certainly do the job,” said Mattingly, hoping that the new public safety director will bring stability to the position. Cameron had been the public safety director for a little over one year before getting elected as sheriff and taking oath of office Dec. 4, 2006.

Jarboe denied his vote had anything to do with Sheriff Zylak or party or politics. “In my opinion there was a better qualified candidate,” Jarboe told The Bay Net, without mentioning the name of the aspirant. Sheriff Fred Davis, who lost to Rex Coffey as Charles County sheriff, was also vying for the position, but when Jarboe was asked if Davis was his choice, he responded, “That’s your assumption.”

Jarboe said the candidate he had in mind was someone with on-the-job experience “someone who had hands-on communications experience.”

Though Zyla