Fire Chief’s Arrest Ignites Intense Talk

Archer on Administrative Leave

Ilwaco Mayor Eddie Hillard had probably been expecting a softer landing in the two-month gap between being elected Ilwaco’s newest mayor and leading his first-ever council meeting. Instead, councilors spent much of the January 12 meeting debating whether Hillard should terminate Jeff Archer as the chief of the city’s fire department after he was arrested and charged with more than three dozen felony counts relating to alleged child rape and molestation.

Hillard placed Archer on administrative leave on January 9, the same day of his arrest in Ocean Park by the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office. The fire chief position in Ilwaco is classified as an at-will employee, meaning they can be fired without due process, notice, or hearing.

For Washington cities and towns operating under the mayor-council system of government, the authority to hire and fire at-will employees lies with the mayor.

Archer became the city’s part-time fire chief in 2021. This position was made full-time in 2023. Previously, he worked for Pacific County Fire District No. 1 starting in 2009 as a paramedic and division chief.

Hillard told the Observer on January 18 that he intends to release a statement on the matter this week. Archer, who pleaded not guilty in Pacific County Superior Court on January 16 to the 37 charges he’s facing, remains on administrative leave as of this issue’s print deadline.

Proposed Resolution

Councilor Matt Lessnau, who was appointed mayor pro-tempore later in the meeting, introduced a resolution calling for the “immediate termination” of Archer as fire chief.

Noting the sheer number of charges Archer is facing, the resolution states that the nature of the charges “represents conduct fundamentally incompatible with the position of Fire Chief, a position of public trust, authority, and responsibility for the safety and welfare of all residents, including children and vulnerable populations.”

The document also cites an Observer report of Archer’s initial arrest, highlighting a statement from a law enforcement source saying the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices spent considerable time working on the case, “indicating a thorough and substantial investigation into these allegations.”

The resolution warns that keeping Archer employed while the charges are pending would “severely” damage public confidence in both the fire department and city government; undermine the morale and integrity of firefighting personnel; create reputational harm to the city of Ilwaco; and “sends an inappropriate message to the community regarding the City’s commitment to child safety.”

Council Lacks Consensus

While the council voted to add the proposed resolution to the meeting’s agenda, only two of the five councilors—Lessnau and Josh Phillips—came out in support of its adoption. Realizing he lacked a majority, Lessnau opted against calling for a final vote on its passage.

Councilor Dave Cundiff and the body’s two newly elected members, Annie Vela and Richard Rubio, said during debate over the resolution that while the allegations facing Archer are appalling, they were concerned about the city opening itself up to legal risks if he were to be fired without being yet convicted of a crime.

Lessnau said his stance on bringing forth the resolution changed following a meeting that the council’s public safety committee held earlier that day, after it was determined that the fire chief position is classified as an at-will employee.

Seeing the breadth of the allegations being lodged against Archer, and the number of alleged victims, “in my opinion makes this rise to the level of termination and not merely suspension,” he added.

Cundiff highlighted the sheriff office’s own news release on Archer’s arrest, which reminds that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

“The city does not have a role in determining Archer’s innocence or guilt,” he said, “but the city has a right to reasonably investigate whether city resources were used in the commission of any crime.”

“The mayor often has to solicit professional advice on a lot of issues, including this one which, trust me, could result in litigation from any party from any side for any reason, depending on what comes out later,” Cundiff added. “We will not be experts on the things that are outside of our wheelhouse.

“What we can and must do, and my understanding is we’ve done much of this and have processes in place to do the rest, is to make sure that no one whom we can’t currently trust has a position of current authority, or responsibility, or access to city resources. And my understanding is that’s done or well underway.”

The city, Cundiff added, has a responsibility to seek advice from legal and HR professionals to ensure that everyone is being treated fairly and that the city is minimizing its exposure to litigation “that can cost our citizens far more than any benefit they could derive from fast action on the situation.”
https://chinookobserver.com/2026/01/18/fire-chiefs-arrest-ignites-intense-ilwaco-talk-but-he-is-presumed-innocent/