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2026-05-20 Auditor TreasurerAuditor Treasurer Update May 20, 2026 10:36 a.m. Present: Commissioner Pollock, Commissioner Brummer, Commissioner Swope, County Manager Ryan Barrett, Becky Butler, Arny Davis, Grace Jimenez, Graham Gowing, Larry Grove Guest(s): None Recorder: Tammy Martin Public comment: None Executive Session: At 10:37 a.m., Commissioner Pollock announced that the Board would be going into executive session under RCW 42.30.110(1)(i) with Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Bailey until 10:45 a.m. to discuss the following topic: Lewis County Investment Pool. • At 10:45 a.m., Commissioner Pollock extended executive session until 10:50 a.m. • At 10:50 a.m., Commissioner Pollock extended executive session until 10:53 a.m. • At 10:53 a.m., Commissioner Pollock extended executive session until 10:57 a.m. • At 10:57 a.m., Commissioner Pollock extended executive session until 11 a.m. Executive session ended at 11:00 a.m. Commissioner Pollock noted that no decisions had been made. Treasurer Update: Arny Davis provided the Treasurer Office reports to the Commissioner. Arny asked if there were any questions about the reports. He stated they were in the same format as in previous months. Arny left at 11:04 a.m. Auditor Update: Grace Jimenez said majority of the departments within the general fund are about 33% expended year-to-date. There are a few funds that remain slightly over the 33%, but no new concerns have been identified. Grace provided a proposal as a read-ahead and a salary analysis to the Commissioners. Grace would like to adjust the two chief deputy positions in the Auditor’s Office from Grade 126 to Grade 127. The current employees in the position are Grade 126 Step 13 and would move to a Grade 127 Step 13. The requested adjustment would align the Chief Deputy Auditor positions with comparable county leadership roles and better reflect the scope of responsibilities associated with these positions. Grace said the increase in salary is internal equity for those positions. This is a one-time increase with no further step progression that will have a financial impact on the budget. Commissioner Swope made a motion to approve the increase in grade for the chief deputy positions in the Auditor’s Office from Grade 126 to Grade 127 as outlined in the memo effective June 1, 2026. Commissioner Brummer seconded. Motion passed 3-0. Elections Update: Larry Grove informed the Board that filing week is complete. The next election will be the Primary. Larry said he is waiting for the Supreme Court decision surrounding mail in ballots to determine protocol. The decision is expected near the end of June. Commissioner Brummer raised concerns about figures for Lodging Tax. Commissioner Brummer said the bar graph does not demonstrate the numbers presented. Commissioner Brummer said he would reach out to Arny Davis about the report. The Board had discussion regarding ongoing reconciliation challenges within the Treasurer’s Office. Key points included continued difficulty reconciling cash and investment accounts, which has been an issue within the office. There have been multiple errors occurring in the past, despite ongoing efforts to resolve them. Grace said the Auditor’s Office staff have devoted substantial time since last fall assisting with reconciliation efforts. Grace also noted that accurate reporting is critical for special purpose districts that rely on the County’s fiduciary responsibilities and that even minor discrepancies may greatly impact smaller districts. The need for professional accounting expertise within the Treasurer’s Office was discussed and consideration was given to positions potentially being created or reevaluated. The Board acknowledged that even though these issues are not new, their frequency and severity have increased recently and contracting external support was discussed as a potential option that had worked for other agencies in the past. Larry said that it was important to remember that Arny needed everyone’s assistance to get to the filing deadline and then to focus on a better solution moving forward. Meeting adjourned at 11:25 a.m.