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Superior Court asks voters to decide whether Clark County clerk should be appointed, not elected
Summary
Presiding Judge Vanderwood asked the commission to send a charter amendment to voters to make the county clerk an appointed position, arguing appointment would improve coordination with the courts, reduce duplicated costs and improve service. Commissioners asked about selection process, timing, and quantifiable cost savings.
Judge Vanderwood, presiding judge of Clark County Superior Court, asked the Charter Review Commission to allow county voters to decide whether the county clerk should be an appointed position rather than elected. Vanderwood told the commission the bench’s unified request is intended to increase efficiency, improve coordination between the clerk’s office and the courts, and capture potential cost savings and better service to the public.
Vanderwood cited models in other Washington home-rule counties — including Pierce, King and Whatcom — and noted district court practice where clerks are integrated with court systems. He described concrete operational examples: when the bench requested an additional judge and judicial assistant, corresponding clerk staffing requests were not coordinated, delaying staffing and decreasing operational efficiency. Vanderwood said some document-management licensing costs borne by the county could be reduced under a different clerk model (he estimated one license cost roughly $24,000 per year and district court costs higher), but he acknowledged the superior court had not fully quantified system-wide savings.
Commissioners asked how an appointed clerk would be chosen and vetted; Vanderwood proposed a civil-service–style posting and evaluation process with specified background and experience requirements rather than election by voters, and suggested implementation tooling such as phased effective dates to avoid invalidating current elections. Commissioner Klein and others asked about timing relative to the ongoing clerk election; Vanderwood said phased implementation or delayed effective dates could address that concern. Vanderwood emphasized the request is system-focused and not a critique of any particular clerk staff.
Commissioners did not vote on the proposal during the March 4 meeting but flagged the proposal for further consideration in the commission’s amendment review process.
