PORT TOWNSEND – As contested races for county commissioner, District Court judge and prosecuting attorney/coroner have grabbed public attention this election season, five key Jefferson County leaders are already elected to new terms because they’re unopposed.
“I would like to believe that the voters of Jefferson County think we are doing a good job,” said Auditor Donna Eldridge on Monday in an address to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
Eldridge, along with Assessor Jack Westerman III, Treasurer Judi Morris and Superior Court Clerk Ruth Gordon — each alone on the Nov. 2 ballot — spoke to the chamber about their jobs, budgets and what makes government service rewarding.
The fifth unopposed elected official, Sheriff Tony Hernandez, will speak at next week’s chamber membership luncheon, which starts at noon Monday at the Elks Club, 555 Otto St., Port Townsend.
“I still learn; there is still stuff that comes up,” said Westerman, who is the dean of Washington state’s 39 county assessors.
“I don’t think any of us stops learning as time goes on, and I actually do try to get better,”
This learning curve has a sunset clause: Westerman, Morris and Eldridge have all announced their intention to retire at the end of their next four-year terms.
Gordon said “it is too soon for me to decide” whether she will want to remain in office after 2104.
“The last time I ran, I was unopposed, and no one asked me what I do,” Gordon said, outlining the responsibilities of her office as maintaining evidence and records for the court and administering court-ordered parenting plans.
Gordon has a staff of six and a budget of $396,550.
Treasurer Morris said she was “the bank for the county who collects all of the revenue and makes sure it goes into the right pots and is distributed appropriately.”
Morris handles all the bills and payments for the county and collects property taxes, which are due at the end of October.
Morris said that tax payments will be accepted Monday this year without penalty because the last day of the month falls on a Sunday.
Morris has a staff of four and a budget of $352,010.
Eldridge supervises elections, passports and audits county expenditures, making sure that all expenses have been approved and there is a budget to cover the expenditure.
“I’ve been county auditor for 16 years, and it’s been a blast,” Eldridge said.
“It’s like playing house: If you don’t like doing something one day, you do something different the next.”
Eldridge warned of a line the public should not cross.
“You know when you go to the airport and you think it’s real funny to think about bombs?” Eldridge said.
“One thing we don’t do in our office is talk about voting twice.
“If you vote twice, it goes to the canvassing board, which may turn it over to the county sheriff, and depending on what the sheriff decides, they may turn it over to the prosecuting attorney.
“So vote early if you want, but only vote once.”
Eldridge has a staff of nine and a budget of $461,905 for the Auditor’s Office and $265,438 for elections.
Westerman’s office is required to assess real property every year based on market value and inspect the property for re-evaluation every four years.
The assessor’s determination of value is the basis for property taxes, and this process has changed as the real estate market has shown a severe decline.
Westerman is in the process of converting the computer software in his office, which will allow yearly inspections.
“Most taxpayers don’t mind the four-year cycle in an upturning real estate market,” he said.
“If you are in Port Ludlow in 2003 and don’t see my face again until 2007, you’re happy as long as the market is escalating.
“When the market comes down and we don’t come and revalue the property downward, then you experience the downside of the four-year cycle.”
Westerman has 9.5 employees and a budget of $705,320.
Proposition 1 support
Westerman, Gordon and Morris expressed support for Proposition 1, which raises the sales tax in the county 0.3 percent, while Eldridge said “no comment” when asked about her position on the measure.
Westerman said he thought the labor unions should agree to a wage freeze requested by the county to avoid layoffs.
“I find it remarkable that the unions would not accept these terms,” he said.
“If you offered anyone in the private sector the same money they got last year in a downturning economy, they would take it in a heartbeat.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
