City Council Legislative Priorities

The following are the Pasco City Council's 2024 Washington State Legislative Priorities, 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.