Money, spending at the heart of race for county treasurer

Mike Appel

Republican

Occupation: Purchasing agent for an insulation and exterior finishes distributor, Service Partner Supply.

Age: 49

Campaign finance: Raised $5,078; spent $3,016.

Website: http://www.electmikeappel.com.

Quote: “I will do everything I can to save money.”

Doug Lasher

Democrat

Occupation: Clark County treasurer

Age: 61

Campaign finance: Raised $18,306; spent $8,750.

Website: http://www.votedouglasher.com.

Quote: “I have a passion for treasury management.”

Challenger Mike Appel started his campaign for Clark County treasurer with a complaint about government spending, and Clark County Treasurer Doug Lasher said he’s had to explain to voters not only what he does as treasurer, but also what he can’t.

The treasurer’s office collects property taxes, special assessments, excise taxes, gambling taxes and other miscellaneous receipts from county departments and taxing districts. It also accounts for more than 400 funds and revenues for the state, county, cities, schools, ports, and other agencies, including Clark Public Utilities.

It manages the cash, and determines if there are sufficient funds for the issuance of warrants, the equivalent of checks, so those agencies can pay their bills. The office also administers short- and long-term debt financing for the county and taxing districts.

The treasurer may be responsible for a lot of money, but he doesn’t get to decide how it gets spent.

The treasurer manages an investment pool worth $480 million, has a two-year office budget of approximately $5 million and manages 25 employees.

Appel has no financial management experience.

In his current job as a purchasing agent, he manages inventory but does not supervise employees.

When Appel filed to run against Lasher, he said he was frustrated with government spending and said if he lived in Commissioner Steve Stuart’s district, he would have run for county commissioner.

The three county commissioners (Marc Boldt and Tom Mielke will not be up for re-election until 2012) set county policy and prioritize spending.

“I’m at an administrative level,” said Lasher, who’s seeking his eighth term.

The treasurer earns $93,313 annually, the same as the county auditor, assessor and clerk.

Computer purchase

Appel said Friday he doesn’t like the fact the county is spending $7 million for a new computer system for the assessor’s and treasurer’s offices.

Lasher has overseen the installation of the system, which has been the first comprehensive upgrade of the assessor-treasurer computing system since the late 1970s.

The county budgeted for the purchase after learning its current system would no longer be serviced.

While Appel questions the wisdom of spending so much money on the computer system, Lasher said it had to be done.

By enabling his staff to be even more efficient in collecting money, the county benefits, Lasher said, because the money can be invested before it gets spent — and earn interest.

Appel said his key message to voters has been that he’s a taxpayer and will look for ways to be more efficient.

Lasher said that’s the point of the new computer system: efficiency.

“My staff wants to be as efficient as possible,” Lasher said. “They are taxpayers, too. We all are.”

Since the county purchased True Automation’s PACS (Property Appraisal and Collections System,) 10 other Washington counties have followed Clark’s lead because they’ve seen the value in it, Lasher said.

Appel’s other criticism of Lasher was a 2007 incident involving the Camas School District and the county investment pool, which Lasher started in the late 1980s.

The district believed it had more money in the investment pool than it did based on a quarterly report of unrealized gains and losses.

“This accumulation has led districts to believe that value that is on the books still exists for some securities that have matured and are no longer owned by the pool,” Lasher wrote in an Aug. 31, 2007, letter to Mike Nerland, district superintendent.

The district asked to withdraw approximately $1.2 million to buy land. Lasher gave the district $597,827, which forced the district to take out a bond. The cost of issuing the bond was $39,200, and the school district wanted to be reimbursed for the financing costs.

Lasher offered the district $4,469, which was accepted.

Lasher said his office and the school district, which initially threatened legal action, “agreed to disagree.”

Lasher said the incident taught him how to communicate better about how the pool operates.

The school district currently uses the county investment pool.

Lasher was the second county treasurer statewide to start a county investment pool, which gave local taxing districts an alternative to the state pool.

In the past decade, participants in the county pool have earned $27.8 million more than would have been earned in the state’s investment pool, Lasher said.

“I think everyone is satisfied with the investment pool,” Lasher said.

Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com.