Our Voice: The Herald recommends Francik for Pasco Council

Although the candidates for Pasco City Council District 5 are the same as two years ago, the race is more like a sequel than a re-run.

The contest last time set newcomer David Milne against longtime Pasco City Councilwoman Rebecca Francik.

Francik was the obvious pick back then, but we were impressed with Milne and suggested he gain experience by becoming more involved in civic affairs.

To his credit, he has done just that.

He was part of the 22nd graduating class of Leadership Tri-Cities, and last year was appointed to the Pasco Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. He also now holds leadership roles in the Sunrise Rotary and the Franklin County Republican Party.

And he is a regular at Pasco City Council meetings.

Milne, owner of Milne Nail Power Tool & Repair on West Lewis Street, is not the same candidate he was two years ago. He is better.

If he was not running against a 21-year veteran who still has the enthusiasm and energy of a newly elected city official, Milne would be a favorite.

But Francik’s knowledge of Pasco issues — past, present and future — is too valuable to dismiss. A librarian at Rowena Chess Elementary School, she has a penchant for research and information, and has a memory like the proverbial elephant who never forgets.

She is thoughtful, fair and prepared when she makes decisions. Francik also has a cheerful demeanor and gets along well with others — even those with whom she disagrees.

In fact, she and Milne have a very cordial relationship, and talk with each other like friends rather than competitors. It is a pleasure to have a conversation with them.

Milne points to a couple of issues where the two candidates differ, however. For one, he would like to have the Uber driving service in the city — especially since the airport is in Pasco.

In August, the Pasco City Council voted 4-3 to require that drivers for taxis and transportation network companies be fingerprinted for security reasons. Uber refuses to work with a city that has a fingerprinting requirement.

Francik voted for that restriction, and said she did not think the $5 fee for fingerprinting was onerous. She also said the rule goes beyond Uber and affects all transportation companies. With that in mind, she voted on the side of offering citizens more protection.

Another Pasco issue Milne questions is the push for an aquatics facility in Pasco. He said he does not think Pasco should spend public money on something that might be too expensive for most of its own citizens to afford. He said he believes the west end of town needs a public pool and more spray parks for children, but he questions the need for a publicly-funded water attraction.

Francik, though, is a visionary who sees the potential economic benefit to the community if Pasco builds an aquatics center that brings in tourism dollars.

Her vision on the city council is what has helped make Pasco the fastest growing city in the state — acknowledging the congestion at Road 68 is a victim of its own success.

Her experience over the years has given her a solid grasp of infrastructure and planning that will be invaluable as Pasco continues its predicted, unceasing growth.

Milne has come a long way since we chatted with him two years ago, and we hope he continues his civic involvement. We believe his time as an elected official will come.

But for now, Francik’s institutional knowledge and her zeal for Pasco’s future is needed on the council.

The Herald recommends Rebecca Francik for Pasco City Council District 5.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Our Voice: The Herald recommends Francik for Pasco Council."