Protesters in Cosmopolis ask for mayor to step down after fire department quits

COSMOPOLIS, Wash. — Volunteer firefighters and their supporters in the Grays Harbor County city of Cosmopolis protested outside City Hall Wednesday.

The small volunteer fire department is embroiled in a big dispute. Firefighters want Mayor Kyle Pauley and city council members to resign.

Firefighters say their disability, medical coverage payment and retirement funds went unpaid for several years.

Fed up, they walked off the job on Jan. 1.

In a letter posted to Facebook on Dec. 23, members of the city’s volunteer fire association stated their decision to resign came after Pauley “removed necessary funding, and leadership where it is most needed without plans or communication to restructure (their) organization.”

In response, Pauley signed a declaration of emergency.

“We’re going on a year with our first meeting with the mayor. He did not answer any of our questions that we had. We had to call another meeting in May – still didn’t get the answers that we were looking for,” Cosmopolis volunteer firefighter Jerry Schreck said Wednesday.

“All (the mayor) wants to do is try to increase his chances of trying to get a higher political position,” said protester Billi Newton.

The mayor came out to talk with protesters.

He said budget and policy adjustments had to be made because of the pandemic.

“Now we have to find new volunteers. Right now, we’re contracting with the City of Aberdeen under our mutual aid agreement,” said Pauley. “We’re obviously going to have to rebuild the volunteer department.”

Up until this month, the Cosmopolis Fire Department had consistently answered calls during its 127 years in existence.

©2022 Cox Media Group