Skip to content

Whitman County Watch

Menu
  • Mission
  • How to Help
  • Civic calendar
  • News tips/Contact
  • Citizen Guides
    • Obtaining public records
    • Voters Guide — Fall 2021
      • Francis A. Benjamin, Pullman City Council (Ward 1 – Challenger)
      • Al (Alan) Sorensen, Pullman City Council (Ward 1 – Incumbent)
      • Megan Guido, Pullman City Council (Ward 3 – Open/Uncontested)
      • Tricia Grantham, Pullman Regional Hospital Board (Pos. 4 – Incumbent)
      • Reid West, Pullman Regional Hospital Board (Pos. 4 – Challenger)
      • Jeff Elbracht, Pullman Regional Hospital Board (Pos. 7 – Uncontested)
      • Hillary Hoffman, Colfax City Council (Pos. 2 – Open seat)
      • Martin J. Marler, Whitman Hospital Board (Pos. 5 – Incumbent)
      • Brad Pearce, Palouse City Council (Pos. 1 – Open seat)
      • Tracy Stewart, Palouse City Council (Pos. 3 – Challenger)
      • Ron Weller, Palouse City Council (Pos. 7 – Open seat)
    • Voters Guide — Fall 2020
      • Art Swannack, County Commissioner (Dist. 1, incumbent/uncontested)
      • Tom Handy, County Commissioner (Dist. 2, challenger)
      • Dean Kinzer, County Commissioner (Dist. 2, incumbent)
    • Voters Guide – Fall 2019
      • Francis A. Benjamin, Pullman City Council (At-large – Challenger)
      • Eileen ‘Mac’ Macoll, Pullman City Council (At-large – Incumbent)
      • Chris Johnson, Pullman City Council (Ward 1 – Challenger)
      • Ann Parks, Pullman City Council (Ward 1 – Incumbent)
      • Nathan Weller, Pullman City Council (Ward 2 – Uncontested)
      • Pat Wright, Pullman City Council (Ward 3 – Uncontested)
      • Jim Kackman, Colfax City Council (Pos. 6 – incumbent)
      • Dominic Villareal, Colfax City Council (Pos. 6 – challenger)
      • Mark Mackleit, Colfax City Council (Pos. 4 – incumbent)
      • Colleen Cross, Malden Town Council (Pos. 1 – challenger)
      • Robert Ward, Rosalia Town Council (Pos. 4 – incumbent)
      • Bethany Fletcher, Tekoa City Council (Pos. 3 – incumbent)
      • Jonathan Musson, Uniontown Town Council (Pos. 4 – challenger)
      • Michael Shore, Uniontown Town Council (Pos. 1 – challenger)
      • Beth Ficklin, Pullman School Board (Dist. 1, challenger)
      • Susan S. Weed, Pullman School Board (Dist. 1, incumbent)
      • Allison Munch-Rotolo, Pullman School Board (Dist. 2, uncontested)
    • Voters Guide – Fall 2018
  • Subscribe
Menu

Fejeran believes Auditor’s Office can drive change on local issues

Posted on October 18, 2018October 21, 2018 by Jacob Jones

Whitman County Auditor candidate Eric Fejeran says he believes better government starts at the local level, arguing the county should do more to improve access to public services and bring citizens into the decision-making process.

“Real change comes from the bottom,” he said. “I’m going to be an advocate for (citizens).”

Democratic candidate Fejeran, 28, of Pullman, faces Republican candidate Sandy Jamison, 55, of Garfield, in the open race to replace retiring Auditor Eunice Coker. Ballots will start going out Friday, Oct. 19, for the Nov. 6 election.

Fejeran

Fejeran now works as a supervisor at Zeppoz in Pullman and previously worked for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. He also serves as chairman of the Whitman County Democrats and unsuccessfully ran for Pullman City Council in 2017.

Both Fejeran and Jamison chose to keep total campaign contributions to less than $5,000, which requires minimal reporting to the Public Disclosure Commission.

The Auditor’s Office oversees many key functions of the county government including elections, voter registration, licensing, document recording, payroll and other responsibilities. The position is full-time and will make $75,840 a year.

Fejeran said a decade of problematic county audits and several ballot mishandling incidents in recent years have tarnished local faith in the operations of the office. The licensing office has also announced frequent closures that reflect problems.

“We’ve had the Auditor’s Office heavily in the local papers,” he said. “It’s going to take … a lot to change that reputation.”

Despite the media attention, Fejeran said many residents still do not recognize the vast duties of the office. He plans to increase outreach to citizens, including students at Washington State University, with a third ballot service center on campus.

Fejeran said he would seek certification in elections, records and licensing procedures to help tackle the diverse workload. He said he would also pursue funding for additional staff.

“I definitely know they are short staffed,” he said.

Coker told WC Watch county commissioners have resisted past efforts to add staff to the office. She also noted Fejeran had not yet contacted her to ask about how the office operates.

“There’s so much stuff,” she said. “I would answer anyone’s questions that they have.”

Fejeran said he looks forward to taking on the challenges of the office and working to improve overall efficiency and transparency. He said his management experience and work at Schweitzer have reinforced his passion for problem solving.

“It’s going to take a deliberate approach,” he said. “I like difficult problems. I’m kind of a systems guy.”

As a resident of the area for 10 years, Fejeran said he has seen the county struggle with accountability as well as high poverty rates under predominantly Republican leadership. He said he can work with citizens of all political beliefs to make a difference.

“I do like to put political party aside on local issues,” he said. “(But) if people want change that is definitely what I’m advocating for.”

ADDITIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE

League of Women Voters: Vote411 questionnaire

Palouse ProActive: Candidate questionnaire

Daily Evergreen, Oct. 19: Auditor candidates hope to make changes to office, county

As the 2018 primary elections approach, Whitman County auditor candidates share their hopes for the community and what they want to accomplish if elected.

Daily News, Oct. 2: Jamison, Fejeran compete for Coker’s seat

With longtime Whitman County Auditor Eunice Coker announcing her retirement, two fresh candidates will battle to inherit the historically fraught department.

Lewiston Tribune, Oct. 1: Candidates ready to take on troubled office

Taking over one of the most troubled offices in Whitman County government may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Eric Fejeran and Sandy Jamison are hoping voters will give them the chance.

Daily Evergreen, Aug. 1: Fejeran, Jamison attempt to sway voters in battle for auditor

Democrat Eric Fejeran and Republican Sandy Jamison answered questions from voters during a forum held by the League of Women Voters of Pullman at the Whitman County Library in Colfax on July 17.

Local news lights the way
This is a journalistic experiment in public transparency — intended to expand access to information on government policies and practices through the use of reporting, records and community dialogue. Stories will be limited going forward as I focus on a new full-time investigative position at Crosscut. You can reach me there.

News tips & questions:

whitmancowatch@gmail.com

©2025 Whitman County Watch | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme