Write-ins for auditor weigh in
Republican primary race winner will face Independent in Nov.
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Republican voters in Washington County have been given an unexpected choice in the coming May 8 primary-- two write-in candidates for county auditor.
Bill McFarland, the Republican who has held the post since 2003 and run unopposed for the last three terms, surprised the political community by deciding at the last moment not to run again for office, creating a sudden vacuum into which two candidates quickly moved. Both have filed as write-ins because by the time they became aware that McFarland was not going to run, it was too late to get their names on the ballot.
Daniel Everson is a lawyer and works in the City of Marietta legal department, and Matthew Livengood has served as McFarland's deputy auditor for five years. Both filed as write-ins by the Feb. 26 deadline. Belpre City Auditor Leslie Pittenger has filed as an Independent candidate in the November general election. Independent candidates have until the day before the primary to file so others could also still join the race as well.
The county auditor is the county's chief fiscal officer, responsible for ensuring the financial accounts are in good order for all the entities under the umbrella of county government. The description of the county auditor's duties under Ohio law runs to 51 pages.
Both candidates were provided with questions and returned the answers by email. The replies have been edited for length.
Daniel Everson
Question: What experience and qualifications do you have that are applicable to the county auditor's office?
Answer: I am the only candidate running who has formally studied property law and tax law in a law school setting (The Ohio State University School of Law), both of which are directly applicable to the work of the county auditor. According to the County Auditor's Association of Ohio, "there are over four hundred fifty sections of the Ohio Revised Code that directly affect the County Auditor."
I am also qualified by my experience working in three different public offices and my three years of practicing Public Law in Toledo before returning home to Washington County. In 2003 and 2005, I worked on the staff of the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee. I also worked as a Bill Clerk in the Office of the Tennessee Senate Chief Clerk. From 2011 to present, I have been Assistant Law Director for the City of Marietta, Ohio, where I have prosecuted city cases and advised public officials ranging from police officers to city engineers to members of the administration and city council. I also practiced law as an associate in a Toledo law firm from 2008 to 2011, doing often-complex legal work for public clients ranging from Ohio Boards of County Commissioners, Joint Solid Waste Districts, Port Authorities to School Districts, Charter Schools and a Big 10 public university football head coach. I know good public office leadership because I have worked in so many public offices under such different leadership, handling progressively more responsible tasks over the years.
Q: What prompted you to run?
A: When I researched the backgrounds of other county auditors in major metropolitan areas, I concluded that my education and background would be a very good fit for County Auditor if the office should ever come open. When I saw in February that the filing deadline to run for the office had passed without anyone filing for it, I felt an immediate calling to offer my talents in a spirit of public service, and I filed to be a write-in candidate. I felt someone needed to do it, and I felt it needed to be someone with my level of qualifications capable of doing the job right. As with Bill McFarland, who was first elected in 2002 as county auditor after being the Marietta City Safety-Service Director, I am now seeking to combine my experience in public service with my status as a county government outsider.
Q: Why should the people of Washington County vote for you?
A: I'm a poor Appalachian boy whose family goes back four generations in Washington County. … I am a self-made person who identifies with the common person because I have had to work hard for everything I have ever achieved. I also accepted a five-figure pay cut, giving up a more prestigious and higher-paying job, to move back home to Washington County and accept work in a low-visibility public service position. I believe that speaks to the honesty of my intentions. Another reason to vote for me is because I have to date paid for all of my campaign materials out of my own pocket. … rather than raising money from third parties to send out glossy mailers or litter the landscape with yard signs. I believe this approach to campaigning will insulate me from any pressure to provide favors in office to donors who might otherwise want special treatment. Finally …Who better to be a watchdog for county money than a prosecutor with a deep respect for the law and demonstrated professional experience in upholding and promoting legal behavior, including the prosecution of thieves?
Q: Why is the office important?
A: The office of county auditor is important because of the breadth and variety of the work it does -- in many ways, it is the engine that makes the county go. The county auditor is responsible for contracting with third party companies to perform property value revaluations, works with political subdivisions county-wide to determine budgets and plan revenue projections, is the sealer of weights and measures… The county auditor's office is the central repository for many property and fiscal records, it issues licenses and permits (including dog tags), checks public expenditures while processing county payments, ensures that the correct monies are legally certified into the correct funds, and keeps county-wide books. The county auditor is also essentially a Human Resources officer for the county, processing payroll and withholding taxes for countywide employees.
Q: Are there changes you would like to make?
A: Although my general impression of the county auditor's office is that of a hard-working office staff that has done a good job under the oversight of a capable administrator, I do have a big-picture vision of community outreach that I believe is different from what I believe exists now in that office. I want to prioritize community education about property valuations. I talk to too many people who … disagree with the fairness of their present valuations. I want to reach out into the community and organize events around the county… to go to the people with information about how to become involved in the valuation process, rather than waiting for them to come to me with complaints. I also want to host all of this same information somewhere online and easily publicly accessible, including videos of presentations, to serve those who cannot physically come out to these events. …because I know many people in this county struggle to make ends meet despite working hard every day of their lives. I view the office of county auditor as a sacred trust which will allow me to reach out and help in small ways (as far as the law allows).
Matthew Livengood
Q: What experience and qualifications do you have that are applicable to the county auditor's office?
A: For the last five years I have worked in the county auditor's office as the Chief Deputy Auditor. My focus has been in the General Services Area. I have received training in appraisal practices, and in the operation of the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal software, which we use to calculate property values. In addition, the years I worked in real estate and banking have really helped me at the job I have now.
Q: What prompted you to run?
A: After about a year working in the auditor's office, I knew I wanted to serve as county auditor. I was expecting to probably run in 2022. It caught everyone by surprise, including my boss Bill McFarland himself, when he decided at the very last minute not to file. Knowing that I have his full support means a lot.
Q: Why should the people of Washington County vote for you?
A: For the past five years I have worked with and learned from Bill, whose back-to-back Auditor of the State awards demonstrate that he is the best. My day-to-day knowledge of the office's operations, and my ability to execute those operations, mean that I can best serve the people of Washington County.
Q: What are the primary attributes of a good county auditor?
A: As the county's chief appraisal officer, a good county auditor must have a good grasp of how property valuation happens. That being said, a good auditor is a good listener, willing to listen to property owners when they have a concern, and willing to help when the law allows the auditor to do so.
As the county's chief fiscal officer and chief payroll officer, a county auditor must have good attention to detail. A misplaced comma or decimal can mean a significant misrepresentation of county finances.
The last five years have given me a solid understanding of the property valuation process. I consider myself a very good listener, and eight years (and counting) as an Army Reserve Officer have taught me the importance of attention to detail.
Q: Why is the office important?
A: When people think of the auditor's office, they usually think "property taxes." That is partially correct. The auditor's office sets the values for property, off of which taxes are calculated. The auditor must set accurate values so that no one is paying more or less than they rightly should. What a lot of people don't know is that the auditor is also responsible for all county monies, except property taxes, that come into or go out of the county. And the auditor is responsible for the payroll of every county employee.
Q: Are there changes you would like to make?
A: I would like to bring more technology into the office to streamline some of the procedures in the property valuation process. I would also like the office to have a greater presence on social media.
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Candidates for
Washington County Auditor
Matthew Livengood.
¯ Age 48.
¯ Current position: Chief Deputy Auditor, Washington County.
¯ Education: Bachelor of Science, Purdue University.
¯ Years of residence in Washington County: 10.
¯ Current place of residence: Marietta.
¯ Family: Wife, Nicole.
Daniel Everson
¯ Age: 37.
¯ Current position: Assistant law director, City of Marietta.
¯ Education: Warren High School, Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tenn.), The Ohio State University Law School.
¯ Years of residence in Washington County: Washington County native with occasional departures to Tennessee, Texas and Toledo for education and work, resident of Marietta continuously since 2011.
¯ Family: Wife, Kathy.
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Primary election
¯ Date of election: May 8
¯ Early voting times and dates at the Board of Elections:
Tuesday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 30 – May 4, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May 5 – 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
May 6 – 1 p.m. to 5 p..m
May 7 – 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.