Clallam County committee to draft ethics review commission after reviewing Clark County model

Clallam County's Charter Review and Ethics Committee agreed July 24 to develop charter amendment language to create an ethics review commission for elected officials and to gather information from Clark County's recently established system before the committee's next session. Committee members said they want a structure that allows findings or censure but avoids heavy monetary penalties that could trigger large legal bills or complex due-process obligations.

The committee took up the topic after a report from Commissioner Jeff Tozer and a presentation by Dee Bowden, chief civil deputy in the Clallam County Prosecutor's Office, who summarized Clark County's approach and the practical lessons Clark's staff identified. "The single most important thing from her perspective is ... you're gonna need staff to actually put all of these things together," Bowden said, describing Clark County's experience providing staffing through the county manager's office.

Why it matters: Committee members said Clallam County currently lacks a clear enforcement or complaint-processing mechanism for elected…