Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Golik won’t run again

Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik will retire at the end of his term in 2026 after serving 16 years in the elected position.

He announced his decision to his staff Wednesday.

“It has been a great honor to serve our community as the prosecuting attorney. After significant consideration and consultation with my family, I have decided not to seek reelection next year,” Golik, 58, wrote in an emailed statement to The Columbian. “I believe it is important to step down while our office is operating at a high level and our community will continue to be well served. I am confident that now is that time.”

Golik said his office has a lot of experienced attorneys — many who have served in high-level leadership positions for some time — and described it as a healthy environment, all factors driving his decision to retire next year.

He was first elected prosecutor in 2010 and had served as a deputy prosecutor for 15 years before that.

Golik plans to enjoy retirement for at least a year, he said, during which time he’ll spend time with his family before deciding what to do next.

His replacement will be elected in 2026. He said he supports senior deputy prosecutor Laurel Smith, who plans to run for the position.

“In my humble opinion, the voters would be very well served if they elect Laurel,” Golik said. “She is well liked and respected. She has an excellent reputation with the bench and law enforcement.”

Smith, 39, of Camas, has worked for the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office since 2012, with most of that time focused on domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault cases. She has been the team leader at the Children’s Justice Center for more than four years.

“I really love this work. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than helping victims get justice. And I would really like to continue doing that work in a bigger way,” she said in a phone interview Thursday.

Smith said her top priority is community safety, “holding people accountable and getting justice for victims.” Additionally, she wants to strengthen the office’s partnership with law enforcement and build relationships with the community.

“I would like to do a lot of community outreach and connect with folks about the issues impacting them, bring education to community members about various types of crimes in hopes of doing a little bit of prevention work,” she said.

Another of Smith’s goals is seeing the office involved with advocacy on the legislative side.

Occasionally, prosecutors will testify in support of or against a bill, but she said she wants the office to take a more focused approach — “making sure our lawmakers understand how these criminal laws are playing out in real life.”

Funding, staffing

Both Smith and Golik pointed to countywide discussions about funding and staffing shortages within the local criminal justice system.

One challenge stems from the Washington Supreme Court earlier this year issuing an order that slashes annual criminal caseloads for public defenders. Despite a phased approached over a decade, critics have argued that the new standard, which goes into effect Jan. 1 with a maximum of 47 felony cases and 120 misdemeanor cases, is unattainable with current public defense funding levels and a shortage of attorneys. (The current caseload standard is 150 felonies and 400 misdemeanors.)

“I think we’ve already felt the stress of not having enough defense attorneys, and I don’t think that issue is going away. I also don’t believe that we should stop filing cases, so how to juggle that is a real challenge,” Smith said.

Additionally, in April, Clark County Sheriff John Horch told the county council that his agency has the lowest-staffed agency per capita: 0.64 deputies per 1,000 residents. The Vancouver Police Department’s ratio is 1.19 officers per 1,000 residents.

Considering options

The council has been considering several options to help pay for the county’s strapped law and justice programs, including the sheriff’s office, jail services, public defense and courts.

In August, councilors voted to implement a criminal justice sales tax once county officials determine the county’s eligibility for a related state grant program. The state grant program also would provide funding for the sheriff’s office, if it qualifies.

Another option the county has discussed is a property tax levy lid lift, which requires voter approval.

Vancouver’s attempt to pass such a levy to fund law enforcement failed in November, but last month, the city council voted to put a smaller-scale proposition on November’s ballot. Vancouver residents will vote on the one-time property tax levy lid lift, Proposition 5, to hire 13 additional police officers. The funds also would go toward equipment and vehicles.

Smith said she supports Prop 5.

“In a perfect world, it would be one beautiful package,” she said of funding the local criminal justice system. “But that’s not realistic, and it’s a tough pill to swallow for taxpayers.

“What’s the agency or group that has the most direct impact on community safety? It’s law enforcement; they’re on the front lines, so we have to start there,” she said.

The prosecuting attorney’s annual salary, as of July 1, is $237,460.