Electing a Pierce County auditor favors extremists, not pros. So let’s stop doing it

This coming week, I will ask the Pierce County Council to put a measure on the November ballot so that voters can decide whether to make the county auditor an appointed position.

As your auditor for the past 11 years, I know this position should be a professional department director appointed by the executive, confirmed by the County Council, who serves at-will.

An election isn’t the best way to get the top-notch candidate for this important administrative job.

The Pierce County Auditor’s Office faithfully carries out responsibilities set in federal and state law, county code and rules made by agencies such as the state Department of Licensing, the Department of Health and the Office of the Secretary of State.

The office registers vehicles, takes passport applications, licenses marriages and businesses, records public documents, registers voters and conducts elections.

Politics should have no place in this critical nonpartisan work.

Pierce County voters made the county auditor a nonpartisan position in 2009. But even so designated, the 2022 election for a new auditor will attract partisan candidates that could leave voters without uniquely qualified, nonpartisan candidates to choose from.

Given how polarized our political environment has become, there is a real risk that extremists would advance to the general election ballot.

Election campaigns for county auditor typically ignore the licensing and recording responsibilities that account for most customer visits and generate a lot of revenue. The elections division accounts for 24% of employees and 40% of budget expenditures.

And yet campaigns focus narrowly on the politics of elections. Candidates exploit the public’s anxiety about election integrity to raise the $150-200,000 typically needed to run for this type of office.

The County Auditor’s Office – like most elected executive offices – has been a stepping stone to higher offices such as county executive or state auditor. Political parties will not want to relinquish this launchpad. So, each party will try to advance their partisan candidates – for what really needs to be a nonpartisan role.

This means professional administrators with practical technical experience in licensing, document recording and election administration are unlikely to run for county auditor and even less likely to win.

Their quiet public service careers are spent working hard behind the scenes. They assiduously avoid the spotlight and party politics – which hampers their ability to raise money and attention for a successful campaign.

Once elected, the county auditor appoints their own deputy auditor and assistant. Past politicians filled these slots with trusted allies such as campaign staff, political operatives and even the chair of a local political party. These positions are paid between $65,000 and $103,000 a year plus benefits.

As a result, the elected official – at taxpayer expense – can create a self-serving way to protect their job.

An appointed auditor would not be able to do this because these positions would be subject to open, competitive and merit-based selection processes to ensure that the best qualified and capable people join the county payroll.

I disagree with those who say that elections every four years provide sufficient accountability. The last time the auditor’s race was competitive was in 2010 – when I ran for my first full term – and 17% of voters skipped the auditor race.

That is a significant number of voters who are uncertain about how to pick a qualified candidate or don’t know what the Pierce County Auditor’s Office does.

It’s also hard for voters to evaluate the performance of an incumbent auditor when up for reelection. The community has little visibility into day-to-day operations of the office.

Holding an election needlessly politicizes the position. An appointment process will keep partisans out of the office, insulate the auditor from political pressures and keep the auditor focused on the job rather than reelection.

I hope the Pierce County Council and voters will agree: Appointing the county auditor is the best way to ensure a professional office focused exclusively on service to the public.

Julie Anderson is the Pierce County Auditor, first elected in 2009 for a partial term. She won a contested race for a full term in 2010 and thereafter was reelected without opposition in 2014 and 2018. The Pierce County Auditor is term limited. Anderson’s final term will end December 31, 2022. If voters approve an appointment process, she is not eligible for appointment.