Pierce County officials announced this morning that a special meeting of the ad hoc committee to assist with the appointment of the Pierce County Auditor will be held on Weds., Jan. 7 at 1:00 p.m. According to the public notice, the purpose of the meeting is to review timely filed applications for the position and recommend up to three candidates to the Pierce County Council for appointment. The meeting will be held in County Council Chambers, Room 1045, 930 Tacoma Ave. So. For further information, contact Susan Long at (253) 798-6068.

Pierce County will have a new auditor following the County Council’s first meeting of 2009, on Jan. 13, according to Pierce County officials.

The council accepted applications through Jan. 5 for the auditor position, which has been vacant since County Executive Pat McCarthy took office Jan. 2. The eventual appointee will serve until November 2009, when a special election will determine who will finish McCarthy’s unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31, 2010.

The county Auditor’s Office conducts elections for all taxing districts and performs recording, licensing, and other services such as animal control.