Pasco City Council appoints its first Black member in 15 years

A 14-year Pasco resident and human resources manager was chosen this week to fill a vacancy on the city council.

Following 45 minutes of interviews, the Pasco City Council came out of a short 15-minute executive session to appoint Irving Brown Sr. to the District 3 seat. He’ll serve for about a year and will need to run for reelection next year to retain the seat, which he plans on doing.

Brown was chosen from three other candidates who qualified for interviews on Monday. Eleven residents initially applied.

After Brown’s appointment, he took his oath of office and was seated just in time for the council’s study session.

On Tuesday, Brown told the Tri-City Herald on the phone that he was still “excited and numb” over the decision. It’s his first foray into city politics.

“There’s a feeling of relief that my connection to the community and my experience and my problem solving and being a really strong resolutionist and communicator will bring that added value to not only the district, but the city of Pasco at the end of the day,” said Brown, 55.

Mayor Blanche Barajas said Brown’s “passion and love for Pasco just showed” and that his professional experience came through in his responses.

“Ultimately, Mr. Brown was the one who answered the questions the best. His responses were very community minded,” she said.

Brown has worked for about a year as the human resources manager at the Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center in Pasco.

He previously served as executive director of the Tri-Cities Diversity and Inclusion Council, and worked for more than a decade in various human resources roles with the Washington Potato Company.

He’s currently finishing a bachelor’s degree in business management from Columbia Basin College and certification with the Human Resources Certification Institute, according to his resume.

He’s also bilingual and speaks Spanish.

The city council’s vacancy was created by former Councilwoman Nikki Torres, who resigned on May 31.

She’s running unopposed for a state Senate seat representing the 15th Legislative District, and recently changed her registered address to a property outside the city limits, making her unqualified to hold council position.

Brown originally ran against Torres and two other candidates for the District 3 seat last year, but failed to make it past the top-two primary.

Torres’ challenger in the general election, Leo Perales, who lost by about 120 votes, also applied to fill her vacancy but was not invited to interview for the seat.

Council members are paid a monthly salary of $1,115, plus any reimbursable expenses. The mayor, who leads city meetings and largely serves in a ceremonial role, makes $1,450 per month.

The council appointed Brown in a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Pete Serrano voting against his appointment and Councilor Zahra Roach absent from the meeting.

“I thought Ms. (Marianna) Polyukh would have been a great addition,” Serrano later told the Herald in an email.

Drive for service

Brown said he has a drive for service and he hopes his work speaks for itself.

Over the next year, he hopes to strengthen the city government’s relationship, communication and transparency with the public, and wants to bring more constituents to the table to discuss what the future of Pasco should look like.

“I see progressive work and great conversations (ahead). We need to really talk about things in order to secure the future of Pasco,” said the Newark, New York, native.

Growth and annexation are some of the prominent issues top of mind for the new councilman. Brown said they need to think strategically about how and where the the city will grow in the coming decades.

“We’re attractive. People are moving here in large quantities,” he said.

On Monday night, Brown and other candidates were asked how they would handle citizen concerns on hypothetical concerns regarding policy or city employee actions.

Brown said he would play his cards close to the city and the council. He would bring concerns back to the legislating body and administration, but also keep a dialogue with constituents.

“I think communication is very important. If you can create a conversation, there’s a great chance that there’s a win at the end for both sides of the table,” he said.

Brown said he has a “lot to say” for his constituents.

“There’s hope to have a representative that will come and deliver a clear, clean-cut message of the wants, the needs and concerns of our Pasco families, and I believe I have the capability to bring that message back ... and make a plan,” he said.

Black representation

Brown is Pasco’s first Black councilman since former Mayor Joe Jackson left office in 2007.

Since Arthur Fletcher made history in 1967 being elected the city’s first African American councilman, Black community representation has been few and far between for Pasco.

Brown says he’s aware of the city’s legacy of notable Black leaders.

“This is showing great progress for our city, for our local government,” said Barajas, the city’s first Latina mayor, who cheered his appointment.

Barajas said it’s important to have representation that reflects the values and identities of people from across the whole city.