McBroom retires as county auditor after nearly 27 years

After stepping into the position of Adams County Auditor in 1987, Nancy McBroom has officially retired from the position on Monday. The nearly 27 years as the county auditor has been filled with laughter and learning, but McBroom is excited to begin a new chapter in her life.

McBroom originally began working in a part-time position in the payroll department before being hired full-time in the elections department. The atmosphere and camaraderie in the departments has always been something McBroom has enjoyed and she never had a desire to look elsewhere for employment.

McBroom was born and raised in Seattle, but moved to the area to attend Washington State University. She said she has always loved living in Eastern Washington for the seasons and described it as “this is my country.”

Before working for the county, McBroom helped operate and run the Whisperin’ Palms. She enjoyed working with customers and helping people, and that passion for helping others has carried over to her work as auditor.

For McBroom, the job of auditor was a natural fit and she quickly gained a passion for the job. Her strong organizational skills and love for working with numbers allowed her to adjust to the copious amounts of records and reports she completed.

Accounting, spreadsheets and budget paperwork have always been the highlight of McBroom’s job, and while the work is challenging and tedious, she explained she’s always loved working with numbers. Numbers are clean, McBroom said, they don’t lie.

Throughout her years in the office, McBroom said not a lot has changed in terms of how the office is managed or the caliber of individuals she has worked with. The one night and day difference has been the incorporation of computers into the workplace, McBroom explained.

Once the office began using computers, McBroom said it was extremely beneficial, but she still keeps hard copies of everything as part of her routine.

While she enjoys being able to do research at her computer, she still begins her search for information in books before going online.

McBroom said the decision to retire is based around wanting to still have the ability to do what she enjoys. At the age of 70, McBroom said it is time to retire and relax.

Initially, McBroom said she does not have any grand plans for retirement other than relaxing and reading books. Her and her husband, Al, have two dogs and she is excited to be home to spend time with them.

With two children and seven grandchildren of her own, and Al’s three children and grandchildren, McBroom expects to spend time traveling around the state to visit the family. In the spring, McBroom expects to begin taking short trips and spending time traveling while the weather is nice.

While she has officially retired, McBroom will continue to help train the new appointed auditor and allow them to adjust to the position. Currently, Adams County Election Supervisor Heidi Hunt is the only applicant for the position, and McBroom is excited for her to have the opportunity to step up into the position.

As part of her responsibilities of auditor, McBroom also served as the secretary of the finance committee for the county. She met with the county treasurer to balance the budget, take minutes at meetings, make amendments and help work to estimate the cash/carry over for the county.

“Adams County is very stable, there’s not a lot of influx,” McBroom explained. “We have the same number of employees as when I started working here and the same size of county.”

McBroom is happy to have the opportunity to retire from her post with the knowledge that a qualified coworker is stepping into her position. She is going to miss all of the people she works with, McBroom said, but is glad to have had the chance to meet and work with such wonderful people.

“I really enjoy my work and the people, to me, it’s like a small community,” McBroom said. “Between Othello and the people up here, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather work.”

McBroom explained the role of auditor allowed her to meet people throughout the state who work in similar positions and also with state representatives.

At a retirement party hosted for McBroom last week, many of the state representatives attended and McBroom was touched so many people reached out to tell her she would be missed and thanked her for her dedication to her role as auditor.

With the optimistic work environment and compassionate people working in the department, McBroom believes customers to the office have always had a positive experience. She has always strived to ensure customers receive the information and assistance they desire with as small of difficulty as possible.

“The challenge is working with so many diverse people,” McBroom said about the job. “I feel we are here to help the public, we’re not an obstacle to work around. I want people to enjoy their experience here.”

McBroom completed her last day in the Auditor’s Office with enthusiasm, but also with sadness of leaving the office she has dedicated a significant portion of her life too. She looks forward to what lies ahead, and is grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the county for nearly 27 years.

“I have just enjoyed it so thoroughly, and now I’m going to enjoy retirement,” McBroom said.

A retirement dinner is being held to honor McBroom’s tenure as auditor at the Eagles Lodge on Saturday, Oct. 5, beginning with a social hour at 5:30 p.m.