City Council Legislative Priorities

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The following are the Pasco City Council's 2024 Washington State Legislative Priorities (City staff agenda report), as approved by the City Council in November 2023:

REGIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION
Pasco joins communities throughout the Tri-City region to request $4 million in capital funding to replace the region’s aging fire and emergency medical system (EMS) radio system that is on the brink of failure and is based on antiquated technology. 

PUBLIC SAFETY & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Pasco is experiencing a rise in criminal activity. Pasco is working hard to prevent and respond this crime, but asks for the state’s partnership in the following:

  • Recruit and retain law enforcement officers.
  • Allow officers to engage in vehicular pursuits for auto theft and some property crimes.
  • Address auto theft and property crime, including additional investment in auto-theft prevention and enforcement programs and regional property crimes task forces and prosecution.
  • Fund and implement alternative response teams, treatment facilities, and social workers, treatment providers, and system navigators to help direct people to treatment.
  • Invest in the Three Rivers Behavioral Health Recovery Center, which will provide over 550,000 individuals access to a full continuum of behavioral health services.
  • Prevent opioid overdoses by increasing access to opioid overdose reversal medications such as Naloxone (Narcan) while also not increasing liability to the City.
  • Address possession and use of controlled substance, including implementing technical changes and increased funding for successful implementation of SB 5536 (2023).

TRANSPORTATION
The city requests funding to preserve the local and state transportation system to improve safety. Pasco requests:

  • $3 million for the design and right-of-way acquisition of the Road 76 Overpass Project
  • $8 million for the Broadmoor Blvd Bike/Ped Bridge over I-182
  • $1.5 million for the study and design of State Route 12 Safety Improvements between A Street and Sacajawea Park/Tank Farm Road.
  • $2 million for a feasibility study to allow access to I-182 and Hwy 395 from Argent Road
  • Fully fund grant programs, such as the WSDOT Bike/Ped Program, that will allow the City to receive grant funds for eligible projects such as the Broadmoor Blvd Bike/Ped Bridge over I-182 

WATER RIGHTS
Pasco needs additional water rights to serve its growing population. The City supports proposals to allow the city to secure municipal water rights, including the purchase of certificated inchoate water rights from municipalities and special purpose districts and the ability to include land application of industrial wastewater as a ‘municipal use.’ 

HOUSING
Pasco encourages funding to be allocated to house the State’s most vulnerable populations. The City supports state policies and investments that incentivize both the private and public sectors to increase housing supply. The City amended its zoning code to allow middle housing types in 80% of the city, and now asks the state to remove other barriers to the construction of housing, such as relaxing condominium liability regulations, reducing construction costs, and providing tax incentives.

For more information, contact or call the City's Manager's office at (509) 544-3060.

The City of Pasco Supports/Opposes

FINANCE/GENERAL GOVERNMENT
State Shared RevenuesPasco supports preserving and enhancing state-shared revenue streams.
Local ControlPasco opposes any proposals that restrict, mandate, or otherwise interfere with the city’s ability to make local decisions. 
Public Records ActPasco supports any proposals that reduce the impact of abusive public records requests and litigation. 
Election of JudgesPasco opposes legislation mandating that part-time municipal court judges be elected rather than appointed.
Labor ReformPasco opposes legislation that increases labor costs. 
Insurance CostsRecent legislation and subsequent court decisions have increased the legal liability of public entities, resulting in higher rates for liability coverage. The City’s liability rates increased by 27% from 2022 to 2023 and by another 17% from 2023 to 2024. The City supports efforts to protect against liability expansion and opposes new policies that would drive additional claims and increase litigation costs.
Property Tax CapPasco supports adjustments to the property tax levy that will provide a more sustainable funding source to match the growing needs of the community. 
Extended Producer Responsibility Pasco supports producer responsibility for recycling paper and packaging.


INFRASTRUCTURE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
 Complete Streets FundingPasco supports increased funding for the complete streets grant program. 
Carbon ReductionPasco supports the distribution of Climate Commitment Act funding for city priorities that aim to reduce carbon reduction and/or improve climate resiliency.
Tri-Cities MobilityPasco supports efforts to explore a third crossing over the Columbia River to improve regional mobility throughout the Tri-Cities.
Lower Snake River DamsPasco opposes the removal of dams along both the Columbia and Snake Rivers. 
Economic Development ToolsPasco supports economic development tools to spur development downtown and in key commercial corridors, including funding for an industrial symbiosis project at the Port of Pasco.  
Public Works Assistance AccountPasco supports increased funding to the Public Works Assistance Account to fund basic infrastructure like drinking and wastewater. 


LAND USE
Growth Management ActPasco opposes any proposals that create new planning obligations within the Growth Management Act that are not coupled with adequate funding.
Pasco DNR PropertyPasco will continue working collaboratively with DNR to develop the commercially-zoned properties west of Road 68. Pasco is opposed to DNR buying land within the City’s UGA and asks that DNR divest itself of the undeveloped agricultural land it currently owns within the UGA and keeping the associated water rights with said land, not moving them outside city limits. 
AnnexationPasco supports incentives that encourage annexation, including utilizing utility extensions, and mechanisms that facilitate the annexation of unincorporated islands.