How to Choose Our Next Multnomah County Auditor

Many of us who pay attention to important political races — President, Governor, Senator, Representative — seem surprised every election day by races for everything from Soil and Water Board seats to County Auditor. This year’s race for Multnomah County Auditor is among the most interesting races to consider. And, because both candidates are Democrats, this piece will not tell you who to vote for; my aim is to inform you about our county auditing department and the two candidates running to lead it.

Our current County Auditor, Steve March, has served two terms and is not running for re-election. Two auditors from the county, Mark Ulanowicz and Jennifer McGuirk, and an outsider, Scott Learn, ran for the office. McGuirk and Learn are the candidates we will choose between on November 6th.

Unless something goes wrong, the last time we hear about a policy or program is when it’s first introduced. An auditor’s job is to decide which programs or policies need to be audited to find out if the expected goals are being met — and if not, why not? For example, Scott Learn is currently auditing Portland Public Schools at the direction of Secretary of State, Dennis Richardson.

Learn has an impressive list of credentials; he has been both a Certified Public Accountant and an investigative reporter, including 17 years at the Oregonian. He covered Portland City Hall, Portland Public Schools, east Multnomah County schools, and K-12 education. He has received endorsements from The Skanner, the Oregonian, The Portland Tribune, and The Willamette Week. list of endorsements: http://learnforauditor.com/endorsements/

Some of you may remember all three primary candidates addressing the MultDems’ Central Committee Meeting this spring. Ulanowicz was eliminated, and the other two advanced to the general election. Jennifer McGuirk is endorsed by the Portland Mercury, but she received more endorsements from current elected officials; my favorite is the endorsement she received from Serena Cruz. Her list of endorsements includes, AFSCME, Local 88 and 75, NW Oregon Labor Council, and a dozen currently serving electeds. See the full list here.

Please take time to look at both candidates’ websites, think about their strengths and weaknesses, and try to watch the debate between them hosted by the City Club of Portland.