(The Center Square) – In what some might call a game of musical chairs, the Pasco City Council voted Charles Grimm in as mayor on Monday and David Milne as mayor pro tem, flipping their two positions.
The city of Pasco operates under a council-manager form of government, meaning that residents elect a city council, which appoints a mayor to lead the dais. The council handles policy-making, while a city manager, hired by those officials, oversees personnel and the daily operations of the local government.
Pasco is one of many council-manager governments in the region that spent this week selecting a new person to lead the council. Former Mayor Pete Serrano held that spot until August, when he took a job with the Trump administration, leaving Grimm as mayor pro tem and Milne as mayor until this week.
“I would like it to be my honor to nominate Charles Grimm for the position of mayor,” Milne said as the outgoing mayor, earning unanimous support from the dais before they nominated him mayor pro-tem.
Councilmember Leo Perales was the only official to vote against Milne’s nomination, leaving him as the mayor pro tem and Grimm as the mayor of Pasco through Dec. 31, 2027. The dais also filled an empty seat on Monday, though it didn’t take long since the sole candidate was already amongst the officials.
They appointed Councilmember Joe Cotta last fall to fill Serrano’s vacancy after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi tagged him as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. The 120-day deadline for his Senate confirmation has already passed, so Bondi made Serrano a first assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington and special attorney to the Attorney General ahead of January.
Before taking a job with the DOJ, Serrano was the only candidate for District 4 in Pasco and won that reelection bid in November. The outcome meant he could return to the city council if the Senate didn’t confirm his DOJ position in time, but Serrano ultimately decided to stay with the Trump administration.
“Mr. Cotta, I see you here in the audience. I haven’t talked to you, actually, since your last meeting,” Grimm said after City Clerk Debby Barham explained they could reappoint Cotta or select someone else. “It would be fair to assume you are here because you would be interested in this appointment.”
Cotta said it’s been a pleasure serving the community and having the opportunity to lead local policy decisions amid fiscal hurdles. He said it would be an honor to continue in District 4 through 2027, after which the council offered words of support with only Councilmember Calixto Herdandez in opposition.
After a brief recess, Cotta reassumed his seat on the dais and will take the oath of office next week.
“I’m definitely looking forward to having a fully seated council,” City Manager Harold Stewart said. “I think for the four months I’ve been here, I think this is the first time we’ve had a fully seated council.”
