Whitman County Treasurer Mark Clinton believes the office has operated well under his first four years and hopes to continue modernizing county practices while expanding training for his staff if re-elected next month.
“There are a few thing that we’d like to accomplish,” he said.
Republican incumbent Clinton, 47, of Colfax, faces Republican challenger Chris Nelson, 63, of Endicott, for county treasurer. Ballots must be dropped off or postmarked by the Nov. 6 election.
Clinton ran unopposed for the position in 2014. He previously served as treasurer for the city of Colfax and worked for Washington Mutual Bank. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Eastern Washington University.
Both Clinton and Nelson have kept campaign contributions to less than $5,000, which requires minimal reporting to the state’s Public Disclosure Commission.
The Treasurer’s Office oversees collecting, investment and distribution of tax revenue as well as managing accounts for taxing districts within the county. The position is full-time and will make $75,840 a year.
Clinton said his previous 14 years as Colfax treasurer provided a strong foundation for taking over the county responsibilities. He understood many of the potential challenges and knew the county staff.
“It was a pretty easy transition and I enjoy it,” he said.
When Clinton first took over, he asked the State Auditor’s Office to review their practices and suggest improvements. He said he has implemented those changes, including faster turnaround times on deposits.
Clinton said his main priorities — aside from efficient management of tax revenue — have included reintroducing a cash-handling training program for county personnel and updating county finance protocols.
“Some of them were written quite a while ago and they need to be re-written to fit our modern time,” he said.
On transparency, Clinton could not cite any areas for improvement. He said most county business goes through the board of commissioners at their regular public meetings.
“If the public was engaged and interested, they could come and ask questions,” he said.
Clinton noted treasurer’s offices operate as non-partisan operations. There are plenty of counties where the treasurer is not required to declare a preference for any political party. It’s all just numbers, not ideology.
“There’s no partisan anything in the office,” he said. “The difference is who has got the experience and the background.”
ADDITIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE
League of Women Voters: Vote411 questionnaire
Palouse ProActive: Candidate questionnaire
Daily Evergreen, Oct. 19: Mark Clinton seeks re-election for treasurer
This November election, incumbent Mark Clinton will face challenger Christina Nelson for Whitman County treasurer. Both candidates are running as Republicans.
Lewiston Tribune, Sept. 28: Incumbent faces rare challenge for Whitman County treasurer
Two Whitman County employees face off Nov. 6 in the county’s first contested treasurer’s race since 1998.
Daily News, Sept. 27: Clinton, Nelson spar for treasurer’s seat
After running unopposed in the 2014 election, Whitman County Treasurer Mark Clinton will face his first opponent, Chris Nelson, for the upcoming term.
Daily Evergreen, Aug. 1: Clinton, Nelson face off for treasurer in front of voters
Republican incumbent Mark Clinton and Democratic challenger Christina Nelson answered questions at a forum held by the League of Women Voters of Pullman at the Whitman County Library in Colfax on July 17.