Non-Partisan Proposal Cost Estimates

The Pierce County Auditor has provided a cost estimate of $800,000 for changing the election system for the Assessor-Treasurer, Auditor and Prosecuting Attorney to be non-partisan. The Sheriff would also be non-partisan if both the non-partisan proposal passed and the elect-the-Sheriff proposal passed as well.

The basis of the Auditor's estimate is the assumption that the election of these officials would be shifted to odd-numbered years. Nowhere in the proposal does the proposal recommend the shift of the election of these officials to odd-numbered years.

There are numerous non-partisan judicial elections held in even-numbered years. As a Commissioner voting in favor of this proposal, I was certainly under the impression that election cycle for these offices would be unchanged. If the election of these offices continue to be held in even-numbered years, all of the costs which the Auditor has asserted go to zero.