Police Overtime Quadruples

Here is some more information that should scare everyone into getting involved in what is going on at city hall. With no chief of police, an evidence tech retired, one officer leaving the department within the month, the city is being served by less officers. Add to that the hiring freeze ordered by Mayor Sun and we have officers working more and more hours. If you need an officer, especially in a very difficult situation, would you not be served better by an officer that is not been working many more hours than he should be? What affect does the amount of hours worked have on the officer? Is it putting our officers and community in a compromised position? What about the added cost of paying overtime to cover shifts? Here are some of the numbers from the last two months (comparing 2011 to 2012):

# of OVERTIME hours from July1-Aug 31 2011............84 hours
# of OVERTIME hours from July1-Aug31 2012........353.5 hours

That is an increase of more than 4 TIMES! This is OVERTIME!

Just as a reminder, during the same period comparison on the crime statics is linked here.....

More Impacts

Pacific/Algona branch of the King County Library system was budgeted to expand the parking lot this year (scheduled to be done during this summer). Unfortunately it requires permits. They stand to loose out on that project this year and there are no promises that it will be budgeted into next year. Like ripples in a pond, the Mayor's actions continue to negatively affect this city, it's residents and beyond.

News Tribune Editorial: Sun Unsuitable As Mayor

The saga of Mayor Sun's heavy-handed leadership style (if you can call it leadership), continues to draw plenty of attention. The latest is an editorial in The News Tribune that supports our recall efforts. You can read their opinion here...

Calkins' Civil Service Hearing: Part 2

The civil service hearing was continued until Friday evening, August 24^th to hear testimony from former finance director Maria Pierce, who was unable to attend the previous meeting on Tuesday, August 21^st. The city tried to recall John Calkins to the stand, but the rules state no further witnesses or records could be admitted except Ms. Pierce.

Pierce outlined her duties and work history, including her relationship with Calkins (which had been professional). She reviewed the process of working with Calkins getting the police cars ordered, which had been delivered to the car dealer by January.  Pierce reiterated that the funds for the vehicles came from the criminal justice funding, not the general funds. Police salaries are paid from the general fund, but criminal justice funds cannot be used for general fund purposes.

Pierce contacted Mayor Sun shortly after he took office about the cars when the state needed an ordinance or resolution from the city for the financing. Sun told her to stop the purchase of all five cars.  She contacted the state and the dealer several times but there was no normal way to cancel the purchase contract at such a late date. The dealer had an open-ended amount they could charge for canceling the contract.

Despite being very concerned about this going on behind Calkins’ back, she “was instructed specifically no, you do not say anything.” She knew Calkins had been blindsided when she announced to the council on January 17^th that the mayor had stopped the purchase.

When the council when into executive session, Pierce said she stood up. Calkins started yelling, she yelled back. “I was put into a position I shouldn’t have been put in.” She was very upset and told Calkins to talk to her boss. Calkins apologized and acknowledged he was upset at what the mayor had done. She never felt physically threatened, nor did he reach for a gun. She never felt like he intended to harm her.

Pierce was called to the mayor’s office, but said she never asked the mayor to discipline Calkins. She felt she could have continued to work with Calkins.

Calkins verbally attacked, which was unprofessional but given the circumstances she understood why. She was upset about the situation she had been put in, not just the argument with Calkins. “I was the person who had to be the bad guy.” She was angry that the mayor did not stand up and take responsibility for his decision.

Under cross-examination by the city, Pierce noted she never felt that Calkins prevented her from leaving. Both she and Calkins were yelling at each other. Calkins was not swinging his hands; he was not out of control. He was pissed.

The city clerk came over and said, “John, let’s go. It’s not her fault; it’s the mayor’s fault.” Pierce and Calkins continued to yell at each other for a few minutes with others in the room. She admitted having trouble keeping her composure. She had tears in her eyes but not because she was upset with Calkins. She cries easily, when she is angry or at a toilet paper commercial.

Pierce testified she would have talked to Calkins about the hold on the cars if she was not afraid of being fired. The mayor had warned her she would be insubordinate if she told Calkins what was going on, but she asked the mayor several times if he had spoken to Calkins as he promised. A few hours before that council meeting, the mayor told her he had spoken to Calkins but because of Sun’s “past practice of him lying”, she knew he had not and she dreaded going to the meeting.

Closing Statements

Just before statements began, the former city clerk Jane Montgomery helped solve a problem with the recording equipment.

City attorney Elizabeth Thompson reminded the commission that their duty was to determine two things 1) was the decision to terminate for good cause; and 2) was the termination done in accordance with civil service procedures. She instructed the commission to disregard the testimony about who said what to whom or who may have been lying. What was important was did the mayor maintain an open mind before deciding to fire Calkins.

Evidence showed Calkins was out of control in front of others, including the mayor’s wife. It took at least three different people intervening to calm him down. His anger was the result of questioning the mayor’s authority. But Calkins took out his anger on other employees rather than the mayor.

If the mayor was “hell-bent” on firing Calkins, he would have acted sooner. But he took a long time to deliberate. The mayor’s decision was based on conduct that was indisputable. Calkins conduct was improper. The civil service code provides for discharge for this transgression and the city asked the commission to find the discharge was for cause and appropriate.

Calkins attorney Chris Vick noted there are many other issues at play. Was the decision for political or religious reasons? Clearly it was political. Either the mayor is lying or everyone else is lying. There was plenty of testimony that the mayor planned to fire Calkins before this incident. Calkins behavior was unprofessional, but the situation was orchestrated by the mayor.

In addition, procedure was not followed. The mayor had already decided to fire Calkins before he was elected. Sun did not keep an open mind as required. No one had been fired for an argument before. The punishment was disproportionate. Vick asked that the commission find that the mayor was disingenuous in his testimony, that he had prejudged and that this incident did not rise to the level of discharge.

The commission then went into deliberations. Once a decision is reached, their attorney will write it up for their approval. The process is expected to take three weeks.

More Voices

Our neighbors are doing independent research and working to save our city. The following is a letter from one of those concerned neighbors:

___________________________________________

I asked (Pacific) councilman Putnum in an email what happens if the mayor is recalled...who runs the city...I also did some of my own research and compared some of what I found with the recall motion and would like to share the following:

As I understand it, and I'm definitely not a lawyer, upon the vacancy of the office of Mayor, the Council would appoint a new temporary Mayor until the next general election.

35A.12.050
Vacancies.
The office of a mayor or councilmember shall become vacant if the person who is elected or appointed to that position fails to qualify as provided by law, fails to enter upon the duties of that office at the time fixed by law without a justifiable reason, or as provided in RCW 35A.12.060 or 42.12.010. A vacancy in the office of mayor or in the council shall be filled as provided in chapter42.12 RCW. An incumbent councilmember is eligible to be appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor.

RCW 42.12.070
Filling nonpartisan vacancies.
A vacancy on an elected nonpartisan governing body of a special purpose district where property ownership is not a qualification to vote, a town, or a city other than a first-class city or a charter code city, shall be filled as follows unless the provisions of law relating to the special district, town, or city provide otherwise:

(1) Where one position is vacant, the remaining members of the governing body shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacant position.
....
(6) As provided in chapter 29A.24 RCW, each person who is appointed shall serve until a qualified person is elected at the next election at which a member of the governing body normally would be elected. If needed, special filing periods shall be authorized as provided in chapter 29A.24 RCW for qualified persons to file for the vacant office. A primary shall be held to qualify candidates if sufficient time exists to hold a primary and more than two candidates file for the vacant office. Otherwise, a primary shall not be held and the person receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected. The person elected shall take office immediately and serve the remainder of the unexpired term.

If an election for the position that became vacant would otherwise have been held at this general election date, only one election to fill the position shall be held and the person elected to fill the succeeding term for that position shall take office immediately when qualified as defined in RCW 29A.04.133 and shall service both the remainder of the unexpired term and the succeeding term.

Let's Look at the elected City Council:

The other area to be aware of regarding management of the city aside from the mayor seat is what the council actually does in the daily operation of a city (a mayoral/council system). In addition to that appointed position or mayor pro tem, the council is an important cog in city operations. The current Mayor Pro Tem is John Jones, who is recognized by the city of Sumner Interlocal agreement regarding the Valentine road project...an excerpt from an email I received from Sumner's Public Works Director Bill Pugh: "Our point of contacts for the project have been Mayor Pro Tem Jones (jjones@ci.pacific.wa.us) and Council Member Steiger (253-735-2144). You should probably contact either of them for more information..."

and

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Mayor Pro Tem Jones and Council Member Steiger. They are professional, diligent, accommodating and responsive.
Any elected councilmember could fill the void. The City of Pacific while lacking competence in the Mayor's office; still has has a strong, informed City Council. If it wasn't for them, we would be in even more dire straits if that were possible."

Regarding the elected council's role....please refer to :

35A.12.120
Council — Quorum — Rules — Voting.
At all meetings of the council a majority of the council-members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a less number may adjourn from time to time and may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under such penalties as may be prescribed by ordinance. The council shall determine its own rules and order of business, and may establish rules for the conduct of council meetings and the maintenance of order. At the desire of any member, any question shall be voted upon by roll call and the ayes and nays shall be recorded in the journal.

The passage of any ordinance, grant or revocation of franchise or license, and any resolution for the payment of money shall require the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the whole membership of the council.
[2009 c 549 § 3012; 1967 ex.s. c 119 § 35A.12.120.]"

The above highlighted statement pretty much sums up quite a lot of city business. Some of the current Mayor's actions and failure to comply with many of these types of legal structure required within the government are listed in the recall complaint with accompanied documented exhibits...another reason for his recall.

The mayors role in city government is to work with the council, different boards, city staff as well as other cities to insure a quality of life for the people who elect him..his boss. This is the democratic intention of this form of government; with checks and balances to insure integrity in operations and fiscal responsibility for the taxpayers(even those that didn't vote). When the checks and balances are deliberately not implemented and people are fired or harassed due to this...the system breaks down and the taxpayer loses; the city ceases to operate in a fiscally sound and effective manner (Pacific's current situation).

With the experience of the current council and the mayor pro tem...I feel confident that the city will be managed better with a recall and will have the impetus to "get the train back on the tracks" to get us moving in a productive and beneficial manner again...truly a win-win scenario. The current mayors deeds and ensuing results speak for themselves...hence the recall.

How can the city of Pacific do worse than the current status quo..common sense says we can't.

One More Step

King county prosecutor's office served Mayor Sun with the Statement of Charges for Recall right before tonight's council meeting. Mayor Sun turned the meeting over to the Mayor pro tem stating he could not hear. He put on his hat and left the meeting, ten minutes in.

Full Statement of Charges Available Now

The full recall statement of charges can be read by clicking on the following links:

Statement of Charges
Supporting Declarations
Exhibits 1-17
Exhibits 18-28
Exhibits 29-41

Calkins Civil Service Hearing Concluded

The Pacific Civil Service Commissioners have completed the hearing on the termination appeal of former Public Safety Director John Calkins. The commissioners have begun deliberations, but will not announce a decision for about three weeks. More details on tonight's meeting coming soon.

Calkins Hearing Notes

Here is a summary of the first hearing regarding former Public Safety Director John Calkins appeal of his firing by Mayor Cy Sun. The civil service hearing was held on Tuesday and will continue tonight at 6pm at city hall. The proceedings are open to the public.
___________________
The mayor allowed the city attorney, Ken Luce to accompany him this time but would not allow Luce to question him. A second attorney, Elizabeth Thompson, asked the questions for the city. The civil service attorney, Gary McLean ran the meeting, explaining that the commission acts like a jury under similar rules. McLean noted that some records had not been provided in a timely manner and therefore were not admitted. Under civil service rules, two issues were important; 1) was the discipline for cause and 2) were procedural requirements followed. The burden of proof is on the mayor. The commission is not allowed to consider any information not presented previously to the employee. If something is brought up post-action, it cannot be considered. Calkins' attorney felt the RCW listed in the termination letter as reason for the discharge did not apply. The city attorney agreed, it only applies to cities without a civil service commission. The other reasons for the termination still stand.

Opening Statements:
Thompson outlined the situation: Sun was elected on a campaign of fiscal responsibility and put a hold on the purchase of five new police cars because of that promise. When the issue came up at the January 17th council meeting, Director Calkins responded with inappropriate anger. The mayor placed Calkins on administrative leave and took steps in a deliberate and thoughtful process over four months before firing Calkins under civil service rules. That codes says discharge may occur for insubordination or acts injuring the public.

Calkins' attorney stated that this has nothing to do with the mayor managing a budget. It is about the law that says employees cannot be discharged except for cause. Mayor Sun intended to fire Calkins before this incident. He ordered his staff not to talk to Calkins about his plans to cancel the car order. Reasonable minds would conclude Calkins was set up. In hindsight, it was a bad choice to loose his temper but it is not cause for termination.

Testimony For The City:
Barbara Sun, the mayor's wife: Testified that she witnessed Calkins get into a heated argument with the finance director after the council recessed into executive session on January 17th. He was very close to her face and very angry. It was clear the finance director was very upset and looked like she was ready to cry. The city clerk tried to intervene and eventually took Calkins into the hallway. Sun heard Calkins tell the clerk to shut up.

Under cross examination by Calkins' attorney, Mrs. Sun confirmed this was only a verbal confrontation, no gun or threats of any kind, no physical touching. Only Calkins had his voice raised, not the clerk or finance director.

Mayor Cy Sun: Thompson asked him about his decision about the police cars. After a 10-second delay, Sun responded saying he only canceled the purchase of one car to save money, but he had told the council that night he wanted to hold the purchase of all five cars to study the issue. He did not witness the argument but the clerk told him about it later. The finance director was "in-cohesive". He felt the clerk and finance director were too upset to talk that night; "I heard gobbldygook. They just wasn't themselves."

When he interviewed them the next day, they wanted some dispilinary action against Calkins. All he could think of was to put Calkins on leave so he could have more time to think. Both women advised him and participated in this action.

He said he carefully read the civil service rules and the RCW's so he would have a lawful point to establish his claims. Calkins had intimidated personel in front of the public. The mayor felt that violated the law and was unbecoming for the positon Calkins held. "You just don't go up to a person and tell that person to shut up and drive your point home. You just don't do that. If you got a problem, its best to talk it out respectfully."

The mayor said he took a long time to think about his next step. He was concerned about firing Calkins since he had a family to support. It was a hard decision and it took him all that time to think about it (the four months of adminstrative leave before termination).

Exhibit 3, the Loudermill letter lists the reasons for termination: 1) dis-temperance, 2) immoral conduct, 3) willful failure to properly conduct himself, and 4) bringing negative publicity to the city. Sun felt that Calkins exhibited dis-temperance and immoral conduct when he lost his temper and was abusive and disrespectful.

When asked what he meant by negaitive publicity, the mayor said he negated any past rumors or publicty because it was in the past. But when he wrote the Loudermill letter, he could see there was trail to his character. Calkins' attorney objected and it was sustained, so the mayor restated that he was refering to negative, unsatifactory, damaging publicity based on news and blogs. He was not trying to set up Calkins and felt the discharge was in the best interest of the city.

Under cross examination, Mayor Sun denied ever telling anyone he intended to fire Calkins before this incident. He never told anyone he intended to cancel the order for all five cars, nor did he instruct anyone to withold his decision from Calkins.

Calkins' attorney (Mr. Vick) asked Sun if he planned on firing Calkins before issuing the Loudermill letter, which the mayor denied. Sun said he hoped Calkins would come up with some constructive rebuttal at the Loudermill hearing. Sun denied that Calkins requested to meet with him the next day or that Calkins came by his office attempting to meet with him but was denied access.

Vick notes the Loudermill letter states Calkins should be fired for the KOMO News investigative story and a blog story by Robert Smith. Sun denies that he used that as an instrument to fire Calkins, but it was included to augment his decision. Vick asked if the argument on January 17th had not happened, would the reason listed in the Loudermill letter of bad publicity  have come up? Sun responded that he did not say that, but that it fits hand and glove with the other reasons listed. Vick asked Sun if he was testifying that everything the press says is true. The mayor felt they would not write what they did if it didn't happen.

Testimony For Calkins
Police Lt. Massey stated he had a friendly relationship with Sun before the election and that Sun had told him he planned on firing Calkins because of the news stories and making Massey chief. Massey explained how police cars are used and their costs.

City attorney Thompson asked if Massey had ever seen Calkins angry, but Vick objected stating this is about one specific incident, not a pattern. Massey stated he had seen Calkiins angry and Calkins had seen him angry over their 12 years working together. He never felt threatened.

Council member Clint Steiger chairs the council's public safety committee, which invesitigated the allegations outlined in the KOMO News story. Steiger said Calkins was not displinined for anything out of that story after the council's investigation. Steiger noted that prior to Calkins becoming director, there was no policy about purchasing police cars and they were always breaking down. Calkins resolved that problem. He never felt bullied by Calkins. Calkins had worked with the council for this purchase of five new cars and the council had approved the purchase. The mayor had never notified the council of his plans to cancel the order.

Steinger noted there were no witnesses to the allegations of anger in the KOMO story. He knew that the clerk had met with Sun on December 7th to tell her about h is plans for the city; which included firing five people including Calkins. Steinger reiterated that the mayor had told staff not to tell Calkins about canceling the cars order, even though by January 17th they were already at the local car lot.

Steinger testified he had never seen anyone fired for having an argument and never heard staff request that Calkins be fired for this incident. He had heard Sun discuss firing Calkins but the mayor was not sure how to go about it. Sun, Steinger, the clerk had discussions with the insurance company about progressive disipline and that this offense was not enough for termination.

Under cross examination, Steinger noted there was discussion about Calkins salary after the fire department was removed from his scope of work.

Massey was recalled to the stand and stated he was called to the mayor's office prior to the termination decision. The mayor stated he planned on firing Calkins and this agument made it happen quicker. The mayor stated that anyone who didn't support him would be fired.

Calkins then took the stand. He outlined his background and that he had never been displined in Pacific prior to this, but had recieved several commendations. He outlined his five-year policy of new car purchases using criminal justice funds, not general city funds.

Calkins expressed regret over the argument, but the first he knew of the car purchase being canceled was when the finance director announced it to the council in the meeting. He had apoligized to both of them that night when they told him the mayor had ordered them not to tell him.

Under cross examination, he stated he had been investigated but never for anger issues. He agreed the argument was inapproprate. He attempted to contact the mayor the next day to apologize and ask why the mayor chose to blindside him. When he went to see the mayor, Sun told him to leave and shut the door. Calkins then went to speak with the clerk. Sun banged loudly on the door, then told the clerk she was never to speak to Calkins again.

The former finance director did not appear to testify due to childcare issues. The hearing will continue on Friday at 6pm.

Complaint Is Officially Filed!

Step Forward

With residents, supporters and media watching, recall committee chairperson Don Thomson signed the official complaint today in front of city hall. The signed copy was then delivered to the elections department to begin the complicated recall process. Despite many long hours preparing for this step, this is only the beginning of restoring sanity to Pacific. Much, much more to come - but a big step forward today.

It Has Begun

Attorney Jeff Helsdon is reviewing the complaint with Denise Whitaker of KOMO News

After hundreds of hours in preparation, the formal recall process is officially underway. Attorney Jeff Helsdon has been  meeting with reporters to outline the many, many details of Mayor Sun's offenses. Committee chairman Don Thomson will be signing the formal complaint in just a few minutes in front of city hall. The full complaint will then be filed with the county elections office.

The full complaint is available here... The 200+ pages of supporting material will be posted soon.

Recall Kicks Off Tomorrow

What Really Matters

A message from recall committee coordinator Tracey Apata:

The statement of the charges will be filed this week. Watch the blog as we will post it there (here). It is lengthy so be prepared for some reading.

As we were doing all the research and working on the statement, it was unsettling to be knee deep in it. But in the mist of the frustrations and the personal attacks launched by the few Mayor supporters, I was reminded continually of the goodness of the people of Pacific. Most respect that there are differing opinions about many things but almost all do not lower themselves to clouding things with personal attacks. Those are the traits of those that have no defense for the behaviors and actions in question. This is about preserving this wonderful city. This is whether you want Cy Sun as your mayor, not if you want him to be your neighbor or friend. 

Pacific remains a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.

Calkins' Hearing Tonight

The appeal before the civil service commission for John Calkins, former Pacific Public Safety Director fired by Mayor Sun, is scheduled for this evening at 6pm at city hall. The proceedings are open to the public. No word if Tracey Vedder of KOMO News will appear as a witness for the mayor. Mayor Sun listed Vedder and others from her investigational story about Calkins as witnesses during the pre-hearing conference hearing last month (story here). More details on tonight's hearing coming soon - along with the civil service decision whether to reinstate Calkins.

Tweet With Us

Big news is pending this week on our recall campaign. For the quickest announcements, follow the campaign on Twitter at #recallcysun.  And stay tuned!

Property Crime Investigations Doubles

The numbers prove what many feared, crime has increased in Pacific under Mayor Sun. The following statistics compare July 1 to August 15, 2011 to the same period in 2012. Officer-initiated actions are down to 15 this year compared to 51 in 2011 and property crime investigations have more than doubled.

It's those officer contacts leading to an arrest that deter criminals - the first line of defense that is now decimated under Mayor Sun. It's not surprising that property crime has increased given the reduction in patrol time Pacific officers can do right now. And that time gets reduced even further next week when the evidence technician retires.

Yet Mayor Sun has ordered a hiring freeze for Pacific Police and is trying to fire half the department.

Bottom line:
July 1 - August 15, 2011
51 - Officer-Initiated Enforcement Actions
25 - Property Crime Investigations

July 1 - August 15, 2012
15 - Officer-Initiated Enforcement Actions
51 - Property Crime Investigations

Open Letter

Many neighbors are understandably reluctant to put their names out there on this recall debate. Emotions are strong and attacks from the pro-Sun camp have been vicious at times. Even though the following letter is posted here anonymously, the author makes some very good points (used with author's permission):

Mayor Sun's Ilegal Actions Documented

Council Meeting Tonight

There will be a chance to voice your concerns directly to Mayor Sun tonight at the regular council meeting - 6:30pm at City Hall. You are encouraged to attend and use your three minutes of public comment to state your opinion or ask questions about issues not on the agenda below. There is also public comment allowed during discussion of the agenda items on those specific issues.

Ignore any fake notices posted on doors that the meeting is canceled; which has been a problem in the past. If the meeting is truly canceled, there will be someone to officially announce it.

Of growing concern for many is the hiring freeze that is taking a huge toll on our police department. Pacific City Signal News has a good evaluation on normal staffing levels and what Pacific is now facing (link here). Between injuries, loosing officers to other departments and support staff retiring, the department is facing critical shortages. The mayor refuses to allow replacements and is trying to fire four additional officers.

Please join your neighbors tonight in calling for Mayor Sun to do what is right for this community and step down. As always, civil words and actions are easier to hear and have greater impact, so no matter how mean or vocal the opposition may be, you deserve to be heard. It is imperative that we come together now as one voice and save our city.

City Council Update

Monday night, the city council received an update on several issues. Among them:

• Police: The mayor has imposed a hiring freeze on the department. The Evidence Technician is retiring this month and cannot be replaced. Officers will process evidence, keeping officers in the office rather than on patrol. 
• The hiring freeze was enacted while the department was in the process of filling a vacancy. A second officer is in the hiring process elsewhere and may be leaving. That means two officers lost with no replacement, placing even more strain on the department as well as the budget impacts from overtime.
• Streets: The Stewart Road/Valentine project is out of compliance with the grant requirements. The only way to get back on track involves extensive engineering time. Without a city engineer, consultants will have to do the work at $100 to $240 per hour. The Valentine/136th project that Sumner administers is doing well now that Sumner is running the project.

Police Department Open House

National Night Out Against Crime means the annual open house at the Pacific Police Department. Given Mayor Sun's attempt to fire over half the department recently, the department has been under some stress. But tonight brings everyone together to remember the best about our city...

So stop in and offer a word of encouragement and support to your officers. Free food, music, games for the kids and more! The police department extends their thanks to Don Kuzmer and Metals Express for their donation to support the event. The party lasts til 7pm tonight.

Over $11,000 Raised So Far!

It's clear our community understands the serious threat we are facing with Cy Sun as mayor. One indication of your commitment to saving our city is your generous donations to move this recall forward - over $11,000 so far! We've reached our first goal and have the attorney's finalizing the court documents we need to get things started.

Many donations are coming in anonymously under the $25 limit and are making a big difference, as are the bigger contributions. They all matter and every penny is deeply appreciated. You are making a huge difference!

The attorney's are working right now to finalize the list of charges, called a complaint. The complaint must be reviewed by the auditor, then approved by the prosecutor. The prosecutor then writes the ballot wording and takes it to the judge for approval. If the judge determines there is sufficient justification for a recall, the petition is approved. Mayor Sun has 15 days to appeal, then we can start collecting the 411 voter signatures needed to get the recall on the ballot. Our hope (although its a real push) is to get the issue on the November ballot, where the full community can make the decision. More details on the recall process can be found here and about our recall process found here...

We are still in fundraising mode. We will need at least $5,000 more just to complete the legal process. There will be additional costs for printing and other campaign needs. Those who want to help with signature gathering, please message the committee via the Facebook page here...  We want to be ready to move quickly.

Thank you so much for responding and for taking the time to understand the serious crisis facing our community. Together, we are taking back Pacific!

Sun Responds To Lawsuit

This letter from Mayor Sun was available at city hall today. A stack of copies were left in the lobby. Clearly city resources were used to produce the letter, which responds to a private lawsuit filed against the mayor yesterday. Besides using city letterhead, were city copy machines used to make the copies? Was the letter written and published using a city computer?

Of note, Sun states in his letter he was awarded $30,000. The media is reporting his lawsuit claiming defamation was dismissed with prejudice, meaning the case was dismissed and Sun could not re-file the claim again.

Don Thomson

On the lighter side, Don Thomson and his wife Shirley were highlighted on the Taking Back Pacific blog last week. Don is the "complainant" on the recall, the Pacific resident who is leading the charge in our efforts here. You can read the story here... 

KC Sexual Assault Complaint

Lawsuit Filed Against Sun

UPDATE: 9pm
The Seattle Times has a more detailed story about the alleged sexual abuse by Mayor Sun. The Times reporter talked to both the accuser and Sun. The story is linked here... The News Tribune also has a story with a few more details here...
___________________________
KING 5 is reporting that a civil lawsuit has been filed accusing Mayor Cy Sun of sexual abuse. Read their story here...  Here is the link to the complaint filed in court today.  The link to the case on the Pierce County Superior Court web page is here...

Mayor Sun Wins Schrammie

Pacific Mayor Cy Sun was awarded a Schrammie for "taking the city to the 5th circle of hell." Ken Schram of KOMO hands out the awards to people who deserve special recognition for what Schram considers crazy, stupid or wrong actions. The link to the Schrammie announcement is here...