County Treasurer opts to retire at end of his term

Gazette Staff

Whitman County Treasurer Bob Lothspeich will not run for a fourth term when election filing opens Monday. Lothspeich announced his decision Tuesday morning at the courthouse.

“I’m 70, and I’ll be 71 before the end of my term,” he said as he sat in his office on the main floor of the courthouse. “I want to play with my grandkids.”

Two of his children and their families live in Seattle. A daughter teaches in Geneva, Switzerland. Lothspeich said that he and his wife, Cheryl, make several trips to Seattle each year. They have visited their daughter in Geneva once and want to visit again.

Lothspeich, who previously served as Colfax city treasurer, was appointed at mid-term when Mary Crawford resigned 14 and a half years ago. He then had to run for office. He said he has been working with a couple of people who will likely file for the county treasurer position.

Lothspeich returned to the family farm after serving in Vietnam and worked for Kirkpatrick, Utgaard & Perry accounting firm in Colfax during the off season.

He said his time in office has been challenging, especially with the down-turn in the economy.

“The wind mill project put off for a time what we saw in the budget process last year,” he said. “That’s why the county asked voters for the levy lid lift.”

He also said the county’s accounting software conversion has been challenging.

Lothspeich also compared small county treasurers to those in larger counties.

“In small counties, the treasurers are working treasurers, not like in larger counties where they’re mostly office managers,” he said. “If anybody is going to run and think they’re going to sit at a desk, that’s not how it works in small counties. It’s fun to get involved in processes.”

Lothspeich said after his term ends, he has plenty of work to do.

“I’m going to clean up around the homestead by Mockonema,” he said. He also will remain active in the community and continue his membership in Rotary.

“I tried to treat the taxpayers’ money like I would treat my own and treat the taxpayers in the county like I would like to be treated,” he said.