Anti-tax activist Eyman attacks proposed Pasco road fees. City officials push back
There was heated discussion over taxes and fees at the Pasco city council meeting this week.
In August, the council first discussed creating a transportation benefit district that would help pay for citywide street projects through a car tab fee or a sales tax increase.
Washington state anti-tax activist Tim Eyman traveled from the Seattle area to Pasco to protest at Monday night’s meeting the possible tax increases.
But Mayor David Milne tried to head him off. “Every member here does not like taxes,” told everyone at the council meeting before Eyman spoke during the public comment period. “We also don’t like roads with potholes in them either, and you need roads.”
“There are no secret meetings. We haven’t even voted on this,” he said, addressing comments Eyman told the Herald last week before he came to town. “We still have a couple more months. We’re willing to hear from people. We want to hear from our constituents. Even though I’m leaning one way, I’m still open. I think every council member is open to seeing what’s best for the city of Pasco.”
Then Eyman, wearing a neon orange shirt with the words $30 TABS and carrying a poster with the same message, had his turn.
“At that meeting, you all weren’t debating whether or not to do it,” he said about the workshop session in August. “You decided you were gonna do it. You all expressed what you wanted. You skipped the whole part when you normally make decisions, you’re supposed to actually listen to citizens. It was so maddening.”
He again wrongly claimed that the council’s meeting on Aug. 25 was a “secret meeting” and that there was no opportunity for public comment. Milne made a callout three times, soliciting public comments after that initial discussion. But no one spoke.
This week, Mayor Pro-Tem Charles Grimm was quick to correct Eyman’s claim.
A shouting match erupted when Eyman spoke up again and disagreed with the council’s decision to allow Grimm to respond to his comments.
“On YouTube at the 1:55:32 mark, the public is indeed asked to provide input, and then Councilwoman Barajas asks a follow-up question,” Grimm told Eyman.
“So to come up and say that public comment wasn’t taken that night is factually untrue, or that public comment hasn’t happened … is factually untrue, and it’s outrageous to even suggest that.”
Eyman said he was also frustrated about how long Monday’s meeting took before public comments were taken. There was a special meeting that started at 6 p.m. to appoint a new council member. The regular meeting did not start until 7:30 p.m.
“When you say you have a meeting starting at 7 p.m. and I tell 60,000 people to tune in to watch and you don’t start listening to people until 7:50 p.m., you’re not even following your own rules,” Eyman said.
He told the Herald by phone last week that he wanted to fight the issue in Pasco because it affects everyone in the state whether or not they live in Pasco. He said there could be a “domino effect,” leading other cities to increase fees.
In addition to Eyman, Pasco resident Steve SimmonsLaurie Layne from Buckley, Wash., and one other resident also criticized the potential tax increases.
The council has yet to vote on a specific proposal, which may not come until November.
Proposal expected in November
At the end of the meeting, City Manager Harold Stewart told the council he wanted to clarify the “misinformation” made during the public comments.
He said workshop meetings like the one on Aug. 25 “are designed for staff to talk about options and alternatives with the council to get direction so that we can go through the right processes for the actual actions that you take.”
“During that meeting, the council did give staff the direction to move forward with tab fees potentially,” he said.
The council could first charge a $20 fee. The fee then can potentially be increased to $40 after two years and to $50 after another two years. Pasco does not currently charge a tab fee.
Stewart said that a public hearing on the car tab fee will likely be scheduled during the second meeting in November. He encouraged the public to share comments during upcoming meetings when they are scheduled.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
