Randy Johnson ran for Clallam County Commissioner on a promise of zero-based budgeting and fiscal restraint. Nine years later, after rubber-stamping tax hikes, wasting $1.5 million on the Towne Road fiasco, and backing luxury spending on homelessness and addiction programs, he’s now dangling the County Fair as leverage for yet another tax increase. It’s a far cry from the fiscally sound management he once campaigned on.
In his 2020 re-election bid, Johnson cited “improvements to the county’s financial structures” as proof of his stewardship. But after nearly a decade in office, those claims ring hollow to many. Under Johnson’s watch, the county has repeatedly raised taxes and fees, while approving controversial spending on everything from homelessness programs to poorly managed infrastructure projects.
By 2024, campaigning for a third term, Johnson added “affordable, adequate, and accessible housing” to his list of priorities. But his actual votes and policy positions have raised eyebrows—and taxes.
Though Johnson publicly opposed the controversial Cultural Access Tax, he has consistently voted in favor of other tax increases and spending measures, including:
A 1% increase in both general and road fund property tax levies (2024)
A new Conservation Futures property tax, primarily benefiting land trusts like NOLT
A resolution to put a property tax hike on the November 2025 ballot
Approval of fee increases at the Department of Community Development, with some fees quadrupling
Regular support for funding luxury homeless housing, including rooftop terraces, EV charging stations, dog-washing stations, and dishwashers
Most notably, $1.5 million was unnecessarily spent on the Towne Road realignment — Commissioner Johnson ignored county staff when they advised him that the expense could have been entirely avoided.
Despite his roots in the private sector, Johnson has shown no visible push for the zero-based budgeting approach he once championed—an approach where every department must justify each line item from scratch each year, rather than relying on automatic increases based on the previous budget.
The cost to taxpayers
These decisions have real-world consequences for Clallam County residents—especially those on fixed incomes or struggling to stay afloat amid rising costs. People are being forced to choose between groceries and gas, and some are paying their property tax bill by credit card just to stay in their homes.
Another public comment, submitted in response to the proposed levy lid lift, put it bluntly:
“County taxpayers are already overtaxed... This tax, on top of the largest tax increases in the history of Washington state, does not take into consideration the tough times the people of Clallam County are already enduring.”
Dismissive replies, disillusioned voters
Perhaps more concerning than the votes themselves is the tone of Johnson’s responses to the taxpayers who express frustration. One longtime resident voiced concerns about spending priorities, housing policy, and the county’s growing dependence on federal dollars tied to homelessness initiatives. Johnson’s reply?
“I am so glad that you have all the answers. You should probably run for County Commissioner!”
Another citizen wrote to express concern about the county’s rising expenses and suggested potential budget reductions. Johnson’s response?
“What expenses do you propose the county reduces that relate to the general fund. Over 70% of the budget is in the law and justice accounts. The County Fair?”
Yes, after needlessly spending $1.5 million on Towne Road, millions more on luxury housing for the homeless, and funneling public funds into nonprofits with little oversight, the commissioner’s comeback is to dangle the County Fair—one of the few remaining universally enjoyed public services—as a potential budget cut unless taxpayers agree to another hike.
To many, that reads as emotional blackmail.
Public confidence is slipping
Across multiple emails shared with CC Watchdog, constituents express growing disillusionment not just with government spending, but with how little they feel heard. One letter detailed the view that the county is more interested in attracting state and federal funds than in solving problems:
“We see tax money spent on vagrants, bums, and addicts, culverts under freeways to support salmon in a stream that has never seen a salmon, luxury housing… money spent tearing down an energy-producing dam… a reservoir atop a fault line… Town Road reconstruction that cost taxpayers more money, and the JKT that caused the problems, not held financially accountable… All these things piss us off.”
The writer concluded:
“A competently-run county would not spend tax dollars on such wasteful projects.”
From budget hawk to big spender?
Johnson’s shift from a zero-based budgeting advocate to a steady vote for tax and fee increases has not gone unnoticed. Voters once drawn to his background in forestry and finance are now asking hard questions about whether the promises made in 2016 were ever truly the intent—or just campaign slogans.
As the November ballot approaches—with a major tax increase proposal on it—many residents are weighing whether they can continue to afford to live in Clallam County. For some, the answer is already no.
And for Commissioner Johnson, a man once elected to keep budgets lean and taxes low, Flashback Friday offers a reminder: promises may win elections, but performance defines legacies.
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