One of Utah's longest serving sheriffs is hanging up his cowboy hat.
Millard County Sheriff Ed Phillips announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election, ending his 27-year career in law enforcement when he steps down at the end of the year.
"It has been quite a ride," Phillips told the Deseret Morning News. "Hell, it's been fun. Best job in the world, I've had."
The rural sheriff said he had been struggling over calling it quits for about a year. He wanted to retire with full Social Security benefits. Phillips said his brother's sudden death in December 2005 also influenced his decision.
"I got to adding up the score," the 62-year-old sheriff said Tuesday. "My age right now versus when I look at a retirement age."
Phillips' announcement in an e-mail to his fellow sheriffs was met with well wishes.
"He's a legend," said Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith. "When it comes to the office of sheriff, there isn't anyone who knows more than Ed Phillips. The theme of his life is local law enforcement over literally anything else."
Phillips' reign as sheriff of one of Utah's largest counties has not been without controversies and contradictions. A Democrat in a largely Republican state, Phillips managed to get elected seven times. A conservative on many issues, Phillips said he ran as a Democrat, "if for no other reason than to keep a two-party system alive."
Phillips is known among Utah sheriffs for his battles with federal authorities. In 1997, he railed against the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, accusing them of overstepping their authority by performing police functions. It's a cause Phillips said he will continue to push.
"If I've ever carried and still carry a battle flag, it'll be in that arena," he said. "This country has got so damn far out of whack as it relates to state rights and local rights. Since the Civil War, our government has gotten more and more centralized. It's almost like a dictatorship. A federal dictatorship, regardless of who's in power."
Phillips refused to call his decision a retirement.
"Hell no, I love politics. Anything that would pique my interest that I could get elected to, to go duke it out. I like being involved," he said. "I've got plenty of things to do. I've got a lot of horses that need riding and I've got a lot of grandkids that need spoiling. It's not retirement."
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com