EVERETT — A veteran politician wants his old job back. An experienced manager and certified public accountant wants voters to give him a promotion.
In the race for Snohomish County treasurer, voters are weighing whether to elect County Councilman Kirke Sievers, who was treasurer for 21 years, or Jerry Lindsey, the county’s treasury accountant manager for the past five years.
The county treasurer oversees billions of dollars in taxes and payments. The job is wide open because the current treasurer, Bob Dantini, is leaving office after 12 years.
Term limits bar him from seeking re-election, so he is running for county clerk.
Sievers is a household name in Everett. He’s been in office nearly 33 years. His father, Verne, held the jobs of county treasurer and auditor between 1934 and 1974.
Sievers took the reins and was treasurer from 1974 to 1995.
“People have voted for a Sievers since 1934,” said Sievers, 65. “I look at it as a proven history of good, honest public service.”
Sievers left the treasurer’s office in 1995 because of term limits. In December, Sievers ends 12 years on the County Council and term limits bar him from running for re-election to the council.
“I am healthy, energetic and still have a burning desire to serve the public,” said Sievers, a Democratic member of the council.
The county charter doesn’t prevent Sievers from trying to leap-frog back into the treasurer’s office, county attorneys said.
Lindsey, 59, is the county treasury accountant manager, an insider who says he knows the day-to-day operations of the treasurer’s office. He was hired by the county in 2002, bringing nine years experience as a state auditor who had scrutinized Snohomish County’s books.
The county treasurer watches over billions of tax dollars coming and going from county accounts. There’s potential for fraud, mistakes and bills coming due without enough funds.
Lindsey and Sievers disagree on what skills are needed for the job.
Lindsey is a certified public accountant, an attribute that he says gives him more technical credibility and an advantage in the race. Dantini also is a certified public accountant.
“I know all the nuts and bolts of the treasurer’s office,” Lindsey said. “Our role is to take care of the dollars, protect the dollars, invest the dollars.”
Sievers is not a certified public accountant, but said being a politician is more important.
“In county government, you need to be a politician and need to fight for your office and staff,” Sievers said. “I have a proven ability of doing that.”
Lindsey said he’s no politician.
“I perceive my role as a facilitator, not as a politician,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey has endorsements from the county Democratic party, the Snohomish County Labor Council and leading politicians.
Sievers said he has backing from the Master Builders of King and Snohomish Counties and the Snohomish County-Camano Association of Realtors, former County Executive Bob Drewel and state treasurer Mike Murphy.
Sievers reported spending about $14,000 of the more than $28,000 he’s raised for his campaign. Lindsey reported he has raised and spent about $11,000. Both candidates have loaned money to their campaigns.
Times have changed since Sievers was last treasurer, Lindsey said, and some financial ledgers were still recorded on paper. Records are now electronic.
“Although Kirke has got a lot of experience as treasurer, it was a different ball game,” Lindsey said. “I’m the CPA who’s been in the office, who understands the systems. I don’t have any learning curve.”
Sievers said he has proven he has the chops to lead.
“As an administrator, I understand the needs of the office and hire for those needs,” Sievers said.
Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.
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