Commissioner Miller calls for county auditor’s resignation

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Following an executive session during Tuesday’s Grays Harbor County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, District 1 Commissioner Georgia Miller called for the resignation of County Auditor Joesph R. MacLean (R).

Miller’s individual statement comes after the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) issued a Level III Breach of Contract notice to the Grays Harbor County Auditor’s Office, resulting in the termination of the vehicle and vessel licensing contract with MacLean last week.

“This public statement is from myself, this is not representing the board’s public statement. … Based on publicly available information and my direct experience, there have been ongoing and unresolved performance issues within the Auditor’s Office that have had financial and operational impacts on the county,” Miller’s statement read, in part. “These include a delay of more than 100 days in submitting required materials for review by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, which resulted in findings, as well as the termination of the Department of Licensing contract with the Auditor’s Office after multiple failed corrective action efforts dating back to 2021.

“I do not support this level of performance or the lack of accountability that has been demonstrated. For these reasons, I personally am requesting the resignation of Auditor Joe MacLean effective immediately so that the county can appoint someone that is prepared to effectively serve the people of Grays Harbor County.”

The BOCC, which was prepared for this possibility and working in conjunction with the DOL, appointed Grays Harbor County Administrator Sam Kim as the new vehicle and vessel licensing agent, with a focus on maintaining seamless service for the public and licensing partners.

State law allows the DOL to appoint county auditors (or another county government official) as an “agent” of DOL to perform transactions on behalf of the agency. County auditors can also request the DOL to appoint “subagents,” and these subagents report to county auditors. There are two subagents in Grays Harbor County — the Hoquiam Licensing and Transportation Agencies and Timberland Bank.

Back in February, the BOCC, anticipating a possible Level III Breach of Contract notice, voted unanimously to draft and send a letter to the Washington Department of Licensing expressing the BOCC’s intent to assume and administer the contract between the Washington Department of Licensing and the county. Upon receipt of the Level III breach notification and termination of the contract between the DOL and MacLean, the BOCC appointed Sam Kim as licensing agent.

Owner and operator of the 94-year-old Hoquiam Licensing and Transportation Agencies, deCourcy “Kathi” Hoder, spoke during the second public comment period, thanked the BOCC for its support and offered assistance during the transition period.

“I’m just here to offer our help, if, in the interim, Mr. Kim needs some help with whatever is going on up here. We are well established and we know what we’re doing to some degree, and we can help out,” Hoder said. “I’d like our county to get back on our foot, and we’re together on this. We gotta clean up our act. We’re just here to help. Thank your for getting things together. I’m glad we’re back in business.”

Attempts to reach County Auditor MacLean for comment were unsuccessful.