Political Buzz » Pierce County auditor

Pierce County auditor to close six days this year for furloughs

David Wickert — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:51:19 +0000

The Pierce County Auditor’s Office is the latest department to announce closures because of employee furloughs.

The office will close for six days this year because of budget cuts. Other departments – including the planning department and District Court – undertook employee furloughs last year.

Here’s the announcement on the auditor furloughs:

Due to sharp and sustained drops in revenue, Pierce County has cut its budget.

The Auditor’s Office will close for six business days in 2010, and send staff home without pay. This practice is often referred to as “furlough.”

The Auditor’s Office operates

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Judge signs anti-harrassment order against Hill

Lewis Kamb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:32:36 +0000

A Pierce County District Court judge has ordered a Tacoma man to stay away from former City Councilwoman-turned-Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson for the next year.

Judge Maggie Ross approved on Friday Anderson’s petition seeking a permanent anti-harassment order against well-known local figure, Robert Jesse Hill, court records show. The order remains in effect until November 20, 2010.

Hill, 39, who has a long history of mental illness and various arrests, is restrained from trying to contact or come near Anderson under terms of the order. That includes banning Hill from coming to Anderson’s home, or within 50 feet of …

Julie Anderson sworn in as Pierce County auditor

David Wickert — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:55:47 +0000

From the Pierce County communications department:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 24, 2009

Julie Anderson was sworn in Tuesday, Nov. 24, as Pierce County Auditor.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck administered the oath of office during a ceremony in a conference room at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma. Anderson thanked the dozens of friends and family in attendance, including her father Donald Anderson and stepmother Sherri Goulet.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Pierce County,” Anderson said. “The campaign messages of hard work and ‘people before politics’ struck a chord

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Council: Keep Pierce County polling places open in 2010

David Wickert — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:36:31 +0000

Pierce County polls will remain open in 2010 under a budget provision approved by the County Council this week.

Now the county auditor’s office has to find the money to make it happen.

The council Tuesday approved a measure that sets aside $150,000 of the auditor’s budget to maintain poll voting next year. The provision also prohibits the auditor from decreasing the number of polling places (it currently has 56 traditional polling locations).

But the council did not restore the $150,000 to pay for poll voting that County Executive Pat McCarthy recently removed from the auditor’s 2010 budget.

“We couldn’t …

Auditor: Pierce County ballots with insufficient postage will be counted

David Wickert — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:16:54 +0000

News that this November’s Pierce County absentee ballot will cost an estimated 61 cents to mail has prompted some to wonder whether ballots with insufficient postage will be delivered and counted.

But a little-known county policy should ensure ballots are returned even if they lack the needed postage, according to

Auditor Jan Shabro.

Shabro confirmed a county policy of paying the postage for ballots mailed without sufficient postage. She said the office’s contract with the U.S. Postal Service specifies that the ballots will be delivered even without the correct postage, and the county will make up the difference.

“To …

Anderson: Shabro could have done more to pay Pierce County ballot postage

David Wickert — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:09:34 +0000

Pierce County auditor candidate Julie Anderson says Auditor Jan Shabro could have done more to pay postage for this year’s absentee ballots, or at least could have done a better job of telling voters their ballot will need extra postage.

As I reported last week, the November ballot will require an estimated 61 cents of postage, thanks to the extra ballot card Shabro says is needed to accommodate ranked choice voting. Last year the office paid the postage on absentee ballots. This year, it’s not.

Shabro said last week the office can’t afford postage this year because …