Kira Erickson reports:
Republican Sheilah Crider, the incumbent for the position, is seeking her fourth term as auditor. An Oak Harbor resident, she was first appointed to the role in 2008, when her predecessor moved out of the state. Democrat Barbara Fuller, a Coupeville resident, is challenging Crider in this year’s general election.
They Said It
Sheilah Crider:
“We have many challenges before us and there is a lot of angst in the community about elections as a whole,” Crider said. “One of the things that is clear is that a steady hand at the wheel that has guided us through these past 15 years is one that should be with us here during this time and certainly in 2024.”
“Our elections are strong. They are trustworthy. They are accurate and they are transparent,” Crider said. “We invite the public, media, candidates and anyone who wants to come and view our processes to do so. Our doors are open any time.”
“The one thing that has become very evident in the last two years is the amount of misinformation and disinformation that is coming out, and the impact that that has on our public and the voters,” she said. “It puts tremendous fear in their minds and in their ability to trust the government.”
Barbara Fuller:
“Politics over the last couple of years from my standpoint has been ugly, to say the least,” she said.
“My interpretation of the auditor is it’s sort of a unique position for the county in that it’s supposed to protect the county,” Fuller said, adding that records require special processes to make sure they’re secure.
Fuller pointed to the county’s response to a recent finding by the state Auditor’s Office as being concerning. In 2020, Island County filed duplicate claims for COVID relief fund grants. Corrective action, according to the state auditor’s report, included the use of a spreadsheet to track COVID expenditures, which Fuller said has the potential to “fail massively.”
“Honestly, you might as well put a Post-it note on the wall,” she said.
On The Ballot in November 2022
| Auditor Sheilah Crider (R), the incumbent Barbara Fuller (D) |
