Pacific County commissioners defer auditor appointment after four candidate interviews

The Pacific County Board of County Commissioners interviewed four candidates for the county auditor position on Oct. 23, 2025, then went into executive session at 1 p.m. and announced afterward that it had made no appointment and would defer the matter to its Oct. 28 meeting.

The interviews were held to fill the vacancy created by Auditor Alex Drew’s announced departure; speakers at the meeting said the appointment, if made, would begin Dec. 1 and the office carries a four‑year term. Each candidate was given roughly an hour to answer a standard set of questions about experience in elections, accounting, records management and office leadership.

In the first interview, a candidate identified in the record as Scott described decades of elections work and supervisory experience in Pierce and Grays Harbor counties. “Elections is all about accuracy,” Scott said, describing work overseeing large ballot counts and payroll for extra hires during major elections. Scott told commissioners he would be available to start on Dec. 1 and said he would seek election to retain the seat.

The second candidate, addressed in the record as Dottie, spoke of roughly 30 years of county service across several offices, election certification and experience backing up licensing and recording. Dottie told commissioners she would emphasize accountability and respect in office management and flagged county revenue pressures from timber-sector changes as a looming challenge.

Nicole, the third interviewee and a county employee who has moved into senior accounting roles, said she brings private‑sector logistics and recent accounting work to the role and described participation in a DOL audit earlier this year. Nicole said her stronger skills lie on the financial side but that she has helped with elections work and would run if appointed.

Brenda, the fourth candidate, described experience in tribal government, program management, records oversight and grant reporting, and said she is completing a master’s degree in business administration in mid‑December. Brenda emphasized community engagement and staff support as hallmarks of her leadership approach.

After the four interviews the board recessed into a statutorily authorized executive session to evaluate candidates’ qualifications. When the board returned to open session, the chair said, “No decisions were made during our executive session… We will not be taking action on appointment of Pacific County Auditor at this time,” and the board announced it would defer consideration to its Oct. 28 regular meeting.

The record shows candidates confirmed availability to travel for training and conferences, said they could meet a Dec. 1 start date if appointed, and answered a routine question about the public official bond required for the office. The board did not take a formal vote at the Oct. 23 meeting.