A fight over how to replace Pierce County nonpartisan auditor is about to get very partisan, and may wind up in court.

At issue: whether the County Council must accept Democratic Party recommendations for a new auditor or whether it can open the job to all comers.

The Republican-majority County Council this afternoon will consider an emergency ordinance that lays out a replacement process that does not rely on nominations from the Democratic Party.

The process calls for advertising the position, with an ad hoc committee whittling the list to three applicants to be submitted to the council.

Several County Council members say Republican Shawn Bunney (right) is likely to get the council’s nod to replace the outgoing auditor.

He would be filling the shoes of Democrat Pat McCarthy,

(left) who was elected county executive last month. Bunney told me recently he is interested in the job.

But the county Democratic Party is objecting. Chairman Nathe Lawver contends that under the county charter the party should have a say in who is appointed auditor. He’s willing to press his case in court.

“We have a very solid case here,” Lawver said this afternoon. “If it comes down to it, yeah, we’ll be working through the courts.”

[More:]

The county charter states that the political parties have a role to play in filling vacancies for partisan offices. The charter says the political party of the person vacating the office will submit up to three names to the council, which then picks from among those nominated.

However, the charter is silent on filling vacancies for nonpartisan office.

Last year, Pierce County voters approved a charter amendment making the auditor’s office nonpartisan.

Lawver maintains that because McCarthy was twice elected auditor as a Democrat the party should get a say in her replacement. He said the party’s central committee will meet Dec. 18 to pick three people to recommend.

Among those said to be in the running: Katie Blinn, assistant director of elections for the secretary of state’s office.

Council attorney Susan Long said recently there is no case law on how to fill a newly nonpartisan office being vacated by someone elected as a partisan.

“I think there are arguments on both sides,” Long said. “We’re in the process of sorting that out.”

Councilman Tim Farrell, D-Tacoma, told me today he believes the Republican majority will appoint Bunney the new auditor at the council’s first meeting in January.

Farrell said he believes Bunney will use the auditor’s job as a perch to run for executive again in 2012.

Whoever gets the auditor’s appointment would have to run for office in a special election next November. Whoever wins that election would have to stand for election again in 2010, when McCarthy’s term would have expired.

The council will take up the ordinance specifying an auditor replacement process at 5:30 p.m. today at the County-City Building.

Update: County Council Chairman Terry Lee says it's no done deal that Shawn Bunney will be the next county auditor. He said Bunney is thinking about the job but may not apply. One consideration: Bunney would have to resign his council seat if appointed auditor. If the Democrats successfully challenge the council's appointment process, that could leave Bunney out of a job. On the other hand, Lee said Bunney need not get the appointment to run for the office next November.

Update2: Some other names are surfacing as people chat about who's interested in the auditor's job. Among them: County Councilman Calvin Goings, Tacoma City Councilwoman Julie Anderson, Tacoma City Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg and state Sen. Jim Kastama. Haven't asked any of these folks, so take this for what it's worth.