Tensions flared at Pacific City Hall again Thursday when the mayor avoided an appeal hearing with the city clerk he had fired earlier this week.
Upon seeing media cameras, embattled Pacific Mayor Cy Sun left through a back door, skipping City Clerk Jane Montgomery's hearing.
At his home, Sun refused to comment and ordered reporters off his property.
In addition to the City Clerk, four Pacific police officers also received word they will be terminated, including the town's acting police chief. Their appeal hearings are scheduled for Friday.
The power struggle saga in Pacific has resulted in a number of other employees either losing their jobs or quitting.
Sun has repeatedly said he is ridding Pacific of waste and corruption. But employees and residents claim he's ruling the city like a dictator and have launched a recall effort.
The most recent wave of firings stem from a July 19 incident in which Sun was arrested at City Hall. Police released the mayor, though employees accused him of hiring a locksmith to get into the clerk's office to look at personnel files.
The commotion caught the attention of the King County Sheriff's Office, now investigating Sun for allegedly destroying city records.
Among the reasons Sun listed as cause for Montgomery's firing, he said she "[caused] damaging nationwide news media coverage for the City of Pacific," and "[aroused] public dissension and community chaos."
The letter also claims Montgomery altered another employee's employment status and failed to complete certification as a municipal clerk.
KING 5's Elisa Hahn, Lindsay Chamberlain, Russ Walker, contributed to this report.
