Eatonville’s mayor fired the town clerk last week and also demoted the police chief in an unrelated action.
Mayor Ray Harper said Chrystal McGlone, who worked as the clerk for about five years, allegedly misused a town credit card. Harper said there appears to have been a policy violation but no theft of town funds. He declined to provide details.
He said he’ll ask an outside agency to review the matter and also plans to contact the state Auditor’s Office.
McGlone couldn’t be reached for comment.
Harper also removed Kevin Wade as police chief and tapped another officer, Jason McGuire, to fill the position on an interim basis. Wade had served as chief since last summer. He’ll remain a town police officer, Harper said.
The mayor said Wade is a good officer, but “I felt we needed to go in a different direction” for chief.
Wade also couldn’t be reached for comment.
Harper earlier this year proposed outsourcing law enforcement to Pierce County to save money. The council voted against the plan after a public outcry.
Eatonville has struggled financially with declining revenues and an expanded fire department sapping the general fund. A recent state audit dinged the town for using donations meant for a trail project to shore up the general fund in 2010.
sara.schilling@thenewstribune.com
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