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After more than three years of talking about how to form and finance a regional public facilities district, a decision next month will advance or kill the concept.
Kennewick and Richland city councils are frustrated and ready to quit if they, and Pasco can't agree on what financing scheme should be put to a public vote.
"I'm tired of coming to meetings. I'm frustrated we can't get off the dime because the three cities haven't all said yes," said Rebecca Francik, a Pasco councilwoman, at Wednesday's meeting of the Regional Facilities Oversight Committee at Pasco City Hall.
Committee members were irked that Kennewick's representatives, newly seated councilmen John Hubbard and Don Britain, wanted to wait a month before declaring how the committee should finance a future regional project.
The choice is to form a super public facility district that would rely on a sales tax increase, or a metropolitan parks district that would depend on property taxes.
All three cities have to agree on a financing method before they can ask voters to support a tax increase.
"If we don't go forward on this, the voters will never have a chance to decide," Francik said.
"I am not prepared to decide tonight," Britain said. Wednesday was the first time he and Hubbard attended as Kennewick's representatives to the committee.
"We need to take this to our council first," Hubbard said.
Both Kennewick representatives said the issue would be thoroughly discussed at Kennewick's council retreat March 6.
Pasco officials have said they will not support a property tax method, which means they won't consider a metropolitan tax district.
Matt Watkins, a Pasco councilman who is chairman of the committee, said the metropolitan tax district was not an option.
Although Watkins said forming a super public facilities district is the only viable path forward, Britain said the Kennewick council might want to try a different approach.
Francik said if Kennewick prefers the metropolitan parks district option that would rely on a property tax increase, the committee's years of work would be done.
"You will truncate what we're doing," she said.
Bob Hammond, Kennewick city manager, said having four new members on the council in the past 13 months could bring a desire to have more input about looking at a municipal parks district.
Watkins rejected the notion.
"Not with this group. I can't imagine it. A PFD is what we want. There's a certain disconnect," he said, referring to the comments from Kennewick officials.
"There's been a lot of effort put in here to get a regional consensus. It would be a shame to see all that go away," said Gary Crutchfield, Pasco city manager.
Cindy Johnson, Richland's city manager, said her council is losing patience with the lack of progress by the committee.
"We can't keep going down this road. The council is going to lose interest," warned Johnson, who grudgingly agreed to a one-month delay so Kennewick's council could powwow on the topic.
The next committee meeting was set for March 10, four days after the Kennewick council retreat.
-- John Trumbo: 509-582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com
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