Vote on censure becomes official
Published 1:30 am Saturday, May 2, 2026
PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles commissioners Connie Beauvais and Colleen McAleer voted Friday to formally censure former commissioner Steve Burke over alleged conduct tied to his role as executive director of the Shore Aquatic Center.
The move stemmed from a November 2025 state auditor’s report of the facility, where Burke has been on administrative leave since October.
Beauvais and McAleer moved to censure him at the commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday after Burke declined to resign; he submitted a resignation letter dated Friday.
Their vote came during a special meeting Friday afternoon.
“Public trust is of utmost importance to us, and I for one have a duty and an obligation to make sure that trust is upheld,” Beauvais said, noting the request for Burke’s resignation “was not taken lightly” but made in what she described as the best interest of the port and the public.
McAleer said the decision was difficult given her past experience working with Burke.
“My perspective is shaped by a decade of exceptional professional experience working with Commissioner Burke, which made the state auditor’s results and his latest statements both unexpected and difficult to reconcile,” McAleer said.
“This is not about punishment, but about formally acknowledging that the behavior in question falls below the ethical standards we are obliged to uphold.”
Commissioners are expected to accept Burke’s resignation at their May 12 meeting.
By statute, port commissioners cannot remove another publicly elected official. They have 90 days in which to appoint a replacement for Burke’s District 2 position; if they don’t, the Clallam County Board of Commissioners will make an appointment.
The auditor’s report found Burke personally benefited from more than $40,000 in public funds over six years. Auditors also flagged the pool for weak oversight, incomplet records, improper self-insurance medical payments and issues with credit card use.
The report was sent to the Clallam County’s Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which referred the case to the state Attorney General’s Office because of a conflict of interest due to county commissioners serving on the pool’s board. Such referrals are standard practice in Washington when local prosecutors cannot handle a case stemming from a state audit.
As of Friday, the case was still under review with the attorney general’s office and no decisions on potential charges have been made.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
