In my opinion voters should not elect Sheriff John Horch to a second term. On September 29, as reported by the Columbian, the county's Ethics Review Commission found that a member of his senior command staff, Chief Deputy Duncan Hoss, had violated the county's ethics policy by posting a picture of himself in full sheriff regalia on his website to promote his personal consulting business. That's a reflection on Horch's leadership. Worse, Horch was informed of this potential ethics violation on November 6, 2025, yet Hoss kept the incriminating photo of himself on his website until mid-February 2026, just days before the Review Commission's first hearing of the complaint.
Why did Horch not take action sooner? The Review Commission was astounded to learn that staff in the sheriff's office are not required to take ethics training. That's another reflection on Horch's leadership. Why did it take a complaint filed by a private citizen to bring this to light? We should expect the highest elected law enforcement officer in the county to demand his staff meet the most exacting standards of ethics and accountability, yet ethics training in Horch's department wasn't even a basic part of new employee orientation. For his lack of leadership on ethics I believe Horch does not deserve a second term as Clark County's sheriff.
Robert Williamson
Vancouver
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