County Auditor Christine Adams Wandberg asked the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 for support to place three amendments to the county charter on the May 2026 ballot that would: remove an outdated credential from auditor qualifications, lengthen the residency requirement and require performance audits to follow government auditing standards.

Qualification change: Adams Wandberg proposed eliminating the Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP) as a qualifying credential for candidates for county auditor. She told the board that CGAP was effectively phased out by the Institute of Internal Auditors in December 2018 and that only 23 CGAP holders remain in Oregon, concentrated in a few counties. "There are only 23 CGAPs in Oregon," she said, and removing the CGAP requirement would align Washington County with other regional elected-auditor offices.

Residency requirement: The charter currently requires only six months of residency before taking office; Adams Wandberg proposed increasing the requirement to 12 months to align with the board of commissioners and other local jurisdictions. Commissioners discussed whether 12 months should be defined from the date of election or from the start of the term; county counsel advised that residency windows typically run to the day the term starts and that the board's and other offices'requirements are generally one year.

Auditing standards: The auditor asked the board to add a charter requirement that performance audits conducted by the county auditor's office be performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards (generally accepted government auditing standards, GAGAS). Adams Wandberg said the office recently completed an independent audit of the auditor's office and that the external reviewers recommended a charter requirement to ensure consistency from one elected auditor to the next.

Board response and next steps: Commissioners generally expressed support for the proposals and asked county counsel and the auditor to prepare the ballot title and supporting materials. County counsel confirmed the process: introduction, required public hearing and the ballot-title process under charter rules. If the board moves forward, staff said the board would seek a May 2026 ballot placement and would complete required notice and ballot-title steps in the months ahead.

What was not decided: No formal board vote was recorded at the Nov. 4 meeting; commissioners indicated general support but asked staff to return with formal materials and timing to meet ballot-deadline requirements.