With the formation this week of the Committee to Recall Cy Sun, the effort to remove Pacific’s controversial mayor from office began to roll in earnest.

Now the organization needs to raise $15,000 to fund the recall.

The committee seeks $5,000 to retain attorneys Tom Oldfield and Jeff Helsdon, who will represent the committee in the campaign. In 2011, Helsdon and Oldfield represented the Committee to Recall Dale Washam, the Pierce County Auditor.

Committee members will need another $5,000 when the attorneys file the motion and other pleadings in support of the recall petition. The final $5,000 is due after a Superior Court hearing where a judge will decide whether the recall makes it to November’s ballot.

The committee must also collect more than 405 signatures, or 35 percent of the people who voted in last year’s Pacific mayoral election to qualify for the ballot.

Last November, 1,175 people voted, 302 of them voting for City Councilman John Jones, 385 for then incumbent-Mayor Rich Hildreth, and 464 for write-in candidate and current Mayor Sun. Six other write-in votes were also counted.

Committee member Tracy Apata said more than $2,000 has been pledged to date.

Apata added that the committee hopes to get the recall vote on the November ballot.

“There is a way to make this happen,” Apata said.

People wishing to help the recall efforts may contribute to the Committee to Recall Cy Sun account at any Columbia Bank.

For more information, visit the committee’s Facebook page.