Former South King Fire and Rescue Chief Vic Pennington is applying for a Des Moines City Council seat.

Pennington, who previously served as a council member and deputy mayor for the City of Des Moines, was terminated from the fire department on Jan. 4 after more than 40 years with SKFR. He was first appointed fire chief in late 2019.

At the Jan. 4 commissioners meeting, the board unanimously approved to accept the separation agreement between the fire district and Pennington. Pennington was terminated without cause, according to the separation and severance agreement obtained by the Mirror.

“After consultation with Chief Pennington on the needs and direction of the fire district, we mutually agreed a change in leadership would be beneficial to both parties,” said Fire Board Chair Bill Gates at a Jan. 25 meeting.

According to Pennington’s separation agreement with the South King Fire Board of Commissioners, he is receiving a year of paid salary — “the maximum benefit due to his many years of service.” In 2021, Pennington’s annual salary earnings were $218,922.48, according to records obtained by the Mirror.

His separation agreement also allows Pennington to cash out up to 432 hours of vacation and his sick leave at 50% of value. The department will also provide medical coverage for Pennington and his spouse until he turns 65 or is eligible for Medicare, the document states. Pennington is 63.

Pennington did not respond to the Mirror’s requests for comment by the time of publication.

On Pennington’s application for the Des Moines council position, he states: “I have recently retired, however, I believe in the greater good of this community that we call home.”

“I am an established, trusted governmental leader with a record of successful outcomes that you will not get from other candidates in this process,” he wrote in his council application. He also wrote: “My record speaks powerfully to my ability to exercise sound judgment.”

Pennington is seeking the position previously held by former Councilmember Anthony Martinelli. Martinelli pleaded not guilty to six counts of domestic violence and resigned from the council in January, saying the allegations were a distraction to city business, The Seattle Times reported.

In Pennington’s application, he states his second family home is located in Des Moines.

“This council is a young council, and I say that with all the respect in the world, but there’s a big learning curve here,” he said during a Feb. 24 Des Moines City Council meeting interview. Pennington added that he can provide both vision and historical perspectives to the council, given his previous time on the Des Moines council.

Pennington is also named in a Superior Court lawsuit, Hofschulte v. King County Fire Chiefs Association et al., and the department will continue to provide his defense counsel and indemnification if the lawsuit settles, the agreement states.

The class action lawsuit, filed by six firefighters in Nov. 2021, claims the policy mandating first responders to get vaccinated are unconstitutional. The lawsuit is against 19 fire chiefs, two King County regional fire authorities, approximately 20 cities and the county medical director.

Chad Snyder, one of the plaintiffs in the case, is a former South King Fire and Rescue firefighter and states he was granted an exemption, but was “denied a reasonable accommodation to perform his job,” according to court documents.

Other candidates in the running for the open Des Moines City Council seat are Priscilla Vargas, acting ADA compliance officer for the Sacramento Regional Transit District; Tad Doviak, who works in information technology and cyber security; and Yoshiko Grace Matsui, senior public safety exams administrator for the City of Seattle Human Resources.

To view the applications, visit desmoines.civicweb.net.

South King Fire and Rescue Chief Vic Pennington