Pasco council adopts ordinance opposing a local income tax

At the July 20 meeting the Pasco City Council adopted ordinance 4849, creating a new chapter in the municipal code that expresses opposition to a local income tax and establishes that future proposals would require public input and council consideration.

City Manager Harold Stewart introduced the item and Councilman Brows said the ordinance was intended to ensure residents have a chance to weigh in should an income tax be proposed locally in the future. “I think this is just an ability for us to again put in a process where if a future council wants to do this, they have to have public input and they have to talk about it,” Councilman Brows said. The ordinance passed 6–0.

Council members framed the action as preserving the council’s obligation to solicit public discussion before pursuing any local income tax option.