LBA Tri-Cities, Washington

06/10/2026

🚦 PASCO RESIDENTS, I WANT YOUR INPUT 🚦

During this last Council meeting on Monday, the Council voted 5-2 to adopt a Transportation Benefit District sales tax increase.

Fast forward to this past Mondays meeting, I asked whether the issue could be referred to the voters so that Pasco residents could decide it at the ballot box. I was informed that, procedurally, a councilmember who voted in favor of the measure would need to bring forward that motion and seems like one of the Yes votes is open to a vote of redirection by the council.

That got me thinking, and I’d like to hear directly from you.

Should a sales tax increase be voted on by the Council or by you, the residents of Pasco ?

06/07/2026

06/07/2026

This year’s Cinco de Mayo festival in Pasco was one for the books. Nearly 15,000 people showed up, making it the biggest one we’ve ever had. This didn’t happen by accident. It took leadership that we didn’t have before and a clear vision. It also took the right decision to disband the Downtown Pasco Development Authority and refocus with proper oversight. Now we’re seeing the results. This event continues to grow, bringing people from all over and showing exactly what downtown Pasco can be.

What was once described as a mess—culminating in the event losing up to $250,000 before we disbanded the DPDA—has now become a signature event for Pasco.

A big thank you to Pasco Parks & Recreation, the Latin Business Association, the Pasco School District, Primo Promotions, and the Tri-City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for stepping up and helping make this happen. This is what strong partnerships and community look like. And thank you as well to all the vendors and sponsors who showed up and made this event what it is.

Adelante!

It’s your city. Expect more.

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Este año, el festival de Cinco de Mayo en Pasco fue algo histórico. Casi 15,000 personas asistieron, convirtiéndolo en el evento más grande que hemos tenido. Esto no sucedió por casualidad. Se necesitó el liderazgo que antes no teníamos y una visión clara. También se tomó la decisión correcta de disolver la Autoridad de Desarrollo del Centro de Pasco y reenfocar con supervisión adecuada. Ahora estamos viendo los resultados. Este evento sigue creciendo, atrayendo a personas de todas partes y demostrando exactamente lo que el centro de Pasco puede llegar a ser.

Lo que antes se describía como un desorden—que llegó a perder hasta $250,000 antes de disolver la DPDA—ahora se ha convertido en un evento emblemático de Pasco.

Un gran agradecimiento a Pasco Parks & Recreation, la Latin Business Association, el Distrito Escolar de Pasco, Primo Promotions y la Cámara Hispana de Tri-Cities por dar un paso al frente y hacer esto posible. Así es como se ve una comunidad trabajando en conjunto. Y también gracias a todos los vendedores y patrocinadores que participaron y hicieron de este evento lo que es hoy.

Adelante!

Es tu ciudad. Espera más.

06/07/2026

🏠 AIRBNBs & VRBOs IN PASCO — WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Tomorrow, the Pasco City Council will be discussing Short-Term Rentals (STRs), such as Airbnb and VRBO properties.

Now before anyone says it… yes, we all know there are already Airbnbs and VRBOs operating in Pasco. 😄

The question before us is whether Pasco should formally allow and regulate them, and if so, what that should look like.

Many of you have reached out to me over the past couple of years asking about STRs. We were headed down this road last year, but Council decided to wait for additional information, including a Visit Tri-Cities study and other research. We now have that information, and staff has brought forward a proposal that appears to be relatively light-touch compared to what some other cities have adopted but however I have another framework that is non-regulatory.

As I review the proposal, I want to hear from you.

✅ Should Pasco formally allow Airbnbs and VRBOs?

✅ Should there be regulations? If so, what should they be?

✅ Should we simply enforce existing noise, parking, nuisance, and safety laws?

✅ What concerns do you have, if any?

My goal is to find the right balance between protecting neighborhoods, respecting property rights, and avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy.

Let me know your thoughts below. I suspect this one may generate a few opinions… and maybe a few future vacation recommendations too. 😂🏡

This keeps it conversational, acknowledges reality, and doesn’t lock you into either the no-regulation or light-regulation camp before the workshop.

06/05/2026

05/31/2026