Kimsey will run for a fifth term as Clark County auditor

Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said Tuesday he will seek re-election this fall.

Kimsey, 58, was first elected in 1998.

The Republican trounced an opponent in 2002 and ran unopposed in 2006 and 2010.

“I care deeply about our community,” Kimsey said Tuesday. “It has been the highest honor of my professional life to serve as the Clark County auditor. If I’m re-elected I will continue to apply my experience, skills and knowledge to serve what I believe are the best long-term interests of Clark County citizens.”

Before becoming a public official, Kimsey was chief financial officer for Vancouver Oil Co. and had been vice president of U.S. Bancorp’s Investment Banking Office.

As auditor, he’s the county’s primary financial officer, tracking the $360 million budget and reporting back to the Board of County Commissioners and the public. He’s also responsible for conducting elections, registering voters, recording legal documents, issuing marriage licenses and licensing motor vehicles.

Kimsey, whom Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed recognized as Auditor of the Year in 2006, manages a staff of 48 people and an annual budget of $6 million.

In 2005, at his request, county commissioners approved switching to all-mail balloting.

The auditor earns $100,913 annually.

The Committee to Re-Elect Greg Kimsey will host the 14th annual “Pre-St. Paddy’s Day” fundraiser, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Club Green Meadows, 7703 N.E. 72nd Ave. in Vancouver.

The event includes food, beverages and entertainment by the Molly Malone Irish Step Dancers, who will perform at 6 and 7 p.m.

The suggested donation is $20.

A 1974 graduate of Columbia River High School, Kimsey has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in business administration from Portland State University.

Kimsey lives in Hazel Dell with his wife, Gayle, and the couple have two grown daughters.