The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

ELECTIONS 2012

DAYTON -- Current small business owner and former auditor Anne Higgins says she is the best candidate for the Columbia County Commissioner seat because she knows the books.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Higgins, now a mother of three, moved around with her family because her father was in the military. She moved to Dayton with her long-time partner Gary Snyder when she started attending Wash- ington State University for zoology, later switching to social science. She commuted to the Pullman campus until her graduation in 2000 when she continued on to receive her master's degree in accounting.

After school, Higgins started working for the Wash- ington State Auditor's office. She worked as an auditor for seven years and she said she loved it.

"After seven years I thought I could be a better auditor if I sat on the other side of the table, so I worked for Walla Walla County for an additional three years," Higgins said. "I just love the work."

Higgins balances the work with relationships she builds with the people she works with.

"I know the books and I get along with the people," she said. "Some of them still call me and ask me to come back."

Along with her experience auditing and doing tax work, Higgins said she is also a fraud expert, a mentor for the state and a certified grant writer.

She said she also received a call requesting she do the 2011 budget for Columbia County but she had to de- cline because of her recent purchase of the Shell service station.

If she is elected as Columbia County commissioner, she first plans to take on the budget.

Higgins, if elected, would be the first female commis- sioner for Columbia County, according to the commissioner's office.

Higgins used to lead a 4-H group and now spends her free time collecting porcelain dolls, playing softball, baseball, bowling and gardening. She said she doesn't know how many dolls she has now but she has been collecting them for as long as she can remember.

Higgins said she decided to run largely because she was encouraged to by people who have worked with her. She said she still has relationships with local and federal agencies that provide to cities as well as other agencies and she is no stranger to working with them.

"I'm an excellent listener," Higgins said. "I'm firm, but fair."

Higgins' work with local people and their companies has helped bolster her reputation.

Neil Stevens of Dayton said he hired Higgins to help him with accounting during his divorce. After he hired her more than two years ago he had her start on financials with his business, Tema Inc.

Stevens said Higgins' help was incredibly beneficial for him and his company. Beyond being a nice person who is easy to work with, Stevens said she is very smart and good at what she does.

"She's one sharp lady," Stevens said.

Stevens said he supports Higgins completely and thinks she would be an in- credible asset to the county. He said Higgins is a perfect fit for the community and for the position.

"We're in financial crisis, in our personal life and our municipal life, and this is one person who would be an absolutely tremendous asset to the community," Stevens said.

Higgins said if anyone would like to talk to her or learn more about her, she is at the Shell station in Dayton generally Monday through Friday evenings.