By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
SEAL ROCK – The Seal Rock Fire District board has fired Tom Sakaris, its chief of six years, and plans to meet Wednesday to appoint an interim chief to run the day-to-day operations and advise it on the district’s direction.
Following a 60-minute executive session Thursday, the board voted 3-1 to immediately put Sakaris on 30 days of paid administrative leave and then terminate his contract.
Voting to fire Sakaris were board chair Al Anton, Mike Burt and Paul Rimola. Tina Fritz voted no and Dustin Joll abstained.
Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue Chief Jamie Mason has been overseeing day-to-day operation of the Seal Rock district since Friday, but not dealing with administrative issues. Central Oregon Coast and Seal Rock have an intergovernmental agreement to share firefighters and equipment.
Sakaris came to Seal Rock in 2015 from California to become chief. In the past few years he has struggled with some members of the public and board members – now a majority — over a transition from a large volunteer organization to one with paid firefighters handling most fire calls.
Anton has been on the board since 2013 and ran for re-election in May with new candidates Burt and Rimola on platforms expressing dissatisfaction with Sakaris’ leadership, long-range financial planning and the need for more volunteers.
The district has a 2021-22 general fund budget of $607,000 and in addition to a chief, four paid firefighters and a budgeted position of a part-time office assistant.
“We decided we needed to go in a different direction,” Anton told YachatsNews on Monday.
Fritz and Sakaris could not be reached for comment Monday.
The board intends to approve a contract to hire Will Ewing as interim chief when it meets at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Anton said. Ewing is currently the chief of the all-volunteer Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District in the Santiam canyon area east of Salem.
In June 2018 Ewing was fired as chief in Toledo after 19 years there after a disagreement with an interim city manager, who was then let go a year later. Ewing has a civil rights and whistleblower lawsuit pending in federal court against the city of Toledo and several of its former officials.
On Sept. 16 Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ewing, 64, after a fight with his wife at their home in Toledo. Tina Ewing accused him of trying to strangle her during an argument. He is charged with strangulation, fourth-degree assault and menacing during domestic violence.
In a probable cause affidavit filed Sept. 17 in Lincoln County Circuit Court, Deputy Tyler Watkins said Tina Ewing told him that during an argument she pushed her husband in the chest about 11:12 p.m. Sept. 16 and that he began “holding her throat with his hands and pushed her backwards and bent her back over the counter while holding her throat” for 10-15 seconds and could not breathe. The affidavit said Will Ewing told the deputy “he was very angry and choked Tina by grabbing her throat” for approximately 15 seconds.
Anton said Ewing has told the board of the arrest.
“He’s been very up front about it,” Anton said. “It’s a personal situation and he’s innocent until proven guilty. But it was a domestic and someone’s going to jail.”
Anton said Ewing was at the main station on Monday getting organized and will serve as interim chief “until we can get back on an even keel” and the board completes a search for a new full-time chief.
Anton said Ewing has experience in recruiting and working with volunteers both in Toledo and Idanha-Detroit and that Ewing has indicated he does not intend to apply for the permanent job.
“He’s not there to become a full-time chief,” Anton said. “He’s guaranteed us enough time to get us settled.”
