Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias is out of the county this week, traveling to Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Washington State Association of Counties, where he was just elected president. Residents were told the trip used “no county funds.” That answer may be technically correct—but it ignores how WSAC is funded, what it actually does, and how much Clallam County taxpayers have already paid into an organization that increasingly looks less like a service group and more like a lobbying NGO with its own agenda.
“No County Funds” — A Narrow Answer to a Broader Question
Commissioner Mark Ozias is absent from his county duties this week while attending meetings in Washington, D.C. for the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). Last week, he assured residents that Clallam County was not paying for the trip—WSAC was.
That statement deserves a closer look.
To start, Ozias earns a six-figure salary to represent Clallam County residents. He did not say whether he is taking vacation leave or forgoing pay while he’s away on WSAC business. More importantly, WSAC itself is funded by county membership dues—paid with taxpayer dollars. Last year, Clallam County paid roughly $40,000 just to belong.
So while the airfare and hotel may not show up on a county expense report, county taxpayers still funded the organization footing the bill. The money just took a longer route.
WSAC Isn’t Just a “County Association”
WSAC is often described as a professional association for counties. Its tax filings tell a more precise story.
According to its IRS filings—summarized by ProPublica—WSAC is classified as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. That designation matters. Unlike charitable nonprofits, 501(c)(4)s are explicitly allowed to lobby, advocate, and influence legislation. Dues paid to them are not tax-deductible.
In plain terms: WSAC is a lobbying-permitted advocacy organization by design. That doesn’t make it illegal or improper—but it does mean taxpayers should be clear-eyed about what they are funding.
This Is a Big, Well-Funded Operation
WSAC is not a small, shoestring group. Its filings show a professional operation with real money behind it.
In recent years, WSAC has reported more than $5 million in annual revenue and close to $3 million in assets. Very little of that money comes from charitable contributions. Almost all of it comes from program services, contracts, and membership dues paid by counties.
More than $1 million a year goes toward policy, legislative, and litigation work. Several top executives are paid well into six figures. WSAC has also said it is reviewing and potentially changing its dues structure—something that could mean higher costs for counties down the road.
This isn’t just networking and training. This is an advocacy shop.
Policy Positions That Matter at Home
That advocacy hasn’t always lined up with the interests of rural counties like Clallam.
WSAC supported legislation that would have raised the annual property-tax growth cap from 1% to an inflation-based rate of up to 3%. The bill failed, but the position speaks volumes.
It supported expanded use of automated traffic cameras—programs that often turn into revenue generators, complete with vendors, contracts, and administrative overhead.
And WASC has supported the broader Road Usage Charge or “pay-per-mile” framework. For rural residents, who drive longer distances simply to live and work, mileage-based fees hit harder.
What Clallam County Has Paid
Since 2015, Clallam County has paid WSAC $427,228.20. Those payments covered things like transportation dues, coastal caucus funding, human services assessments, and public lands coordination.
That figure does not include the additional cost of sending commissioners and the county administrator to WSAC conferences and leadership events—about $5,000 last year alone.
None of this is mandatory. WSAC membership is voluntary.
No Code of Ethics, No Accountability
In 2024, CC Watchdog asked WSAC a simple question: Does the organization have a code of ethics?
The answer was no.
WSAC’s executive director explained that while the organization has bylaws and internal policies, it does not police or weigh in on the conduct of its members in their county roles.
So Clallam County taxpayers are required—through membership dues—to support an organization that lobbies, takes positions that can raise taxes and fees, pays high executive salaries, and has no ethical standards governing its leadership, while disclaiming responsibility for how those leaders act locally.
“Ask Another Commissioner”
When a constituent asked Commissioner Ozias to advocate—through WSAC—for an alternative approach to declining gas-tax revenue, the response was telling.
The answer wasn’t a yes or no. It was essentially: ask another commissioner, go through the Legislative Steering Committee, follow the process.
That raises an uncomfortable question. If Clallam County has paid nearly half a million dollars to belong to WSAC, why does it feel so hard for constituents to have their concerns addressed through it?
The Question That Keeps Coming Back
Clallam County residents are told WSAC represents them.
They pay for it.
They are expected to trust it.
So it’s fair to ask:
Did Clallam County spend nearly half a million dollars over the past decade to advance the public interest—or to subsidize a powerful advocacy organization and help elevate one commissioner’s standing within it?
And if WSAC truly represents counties, why does it so often seem to operate at arm’s length from the people footing the bill?
