Our Voice: The Herald tilts to Maloney for Pasco Council

Voters in Pasco’s 6th city council district have a choice between a long-time, reliable incumbent and an exceptionally impressive challenger.

It is a tough call, but we tilt to the newcomer — Craig Maloney.

Typically, incumbents who have done a solid job have a clear advantage when they run for re-election because their experience gives them the edge. Pasco City Councilman Bob Hoffman certainly knows how to work behind the scenes to get things done and help his constituents.

Hoffman is polite, generous with his time, and his desire to serve comes from his deep commitment to helping others. If he is re-elected, we’ve no doubt he will continue to be the responsive, devoted city councilman he has been.

Maloney, though, is a soft-spoken force.

Rarely has a political challenger been so ardently engaged in the community at such a young age. At 35, his public service resume is notable.

Five years ago he was chosen to join Leadership Tri-Cities, and it appears he’s been on fire ever since.

He is treasurer of the Pasco Public Facilities District, and has been working hard to bring an aquatics center to Pasco. That was part of his mission earlier this year when he went to Olympia as a member of the Tri-Cities Legislative Council.

Maloney was the Visit Tri-Cities representative for the lobbying group, which provides a united front when bringing up community issues to state elected leaders during the legislative session.

He also is a steering committee member of Somos Pasco, a visionary economic group, and a graduate of the Pasco Police Department’s Citizens Academy. As a board member of the Tri-Cities Public Market, Maloney has been working with others to bring a Pike’s Place-style attraction to the community.

In addition, he is the co-founder and leader of the Pasco Taco Crawl, which raised over $12,000 in two years for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties. The event has brought 1,000 people to Downtown Pasco, many for the first time.

This big-thinking attitude is one of Maloney’s best traits.

He is married to the daughter of a Hispanic immigrant and has two young daughters attending Pasco schools. He believes more can be done to engage the Latino population in Pasco, and he has set that as a campaign goal.

This objective fits in line with Pasco’s overall mission to do a better job ensuring Latino residents feel like they have more of a say in city government.

Thanks to a new election system that is just getting launched, Pasco’s governing dynamics are on the brink of change.

Currently, Pasco has five city council positions represented by voting districts and two at-large positions. In the past, voters were limited by district in the primary election, but voted citywide in the general election.

That system is no longer allowed.

A federal court ruled earlier this year that at-large districts and citywide voting dilutes the Latino vote, and violates the nation’s Voting Rights Act.

Pasco city officials cooperated with the change, and now there are six city council seats voted on by district in both the primary and general elections, with only one at-large position. That seat is held by Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins, and he is running unopposed.

Hoffman has served his district and all of Pasco well. He has a soft spot for people who need help navigating city services or complying with city codes. As an example, he has gone out of his way to help solve code compliance issues surrounding the Sacajawea Apartment complex.

He was gracious when he told the Tri-City Herald editorial board that when he decides someday to step down from the city council, he hopes Craig Maloney is the one to replace him.

We think Maloney is ready now.

The Herald recommends Craig Maloney for Pasco City Council, District 6.

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Our Voice: The Herald tilts to Maloney for Pasco Council."