Councilman ‘appalled’ by Pasco Hispanic leader’s comments
Citing “technical issues” in its proposed map, the Pasco City Council has delayed voting on a proposed redistricting plan that would see big changes in representation to western parts of the city.
The city unveiled the draft plan at an Oct. 24 study session. Two listening sessions allowed residents the opportunity to give their opinion and ask questions, with a plan to approve the map at the council’s Nov. 14 meeting.
But Monday, city staff recommended the council tap the brakes on passing the plan, citing discrepancies between the 2020 U.S. Census block data and the map shown to the public.
“At this point, we don’t have confidence that the same map that was put out to the public would also be something that council would be able to consider, based on the technical issues,” City Attorney Eric Ferguson said this week.
The council voted 6-0 to delay the vote until Nov. 21 at the earliest, with Councilman Pete Serrano abstaining from conversation and the vote.
A few notable Hispanic community leaders told council on Nov. 7 that the timeline was too tight, that there were concerns of diluting Latino votes in District 2 by expanding the voting area out west, and that they were concerned about the legality of splitting voter precincts.
Pasco’s complete redistricting plan can be found online at www.pasco-wa.gov.
Brown ‘appalled’ by comments
Councilman Irving Brown Sr. on Monday said he was “appalled” and “highly offended” by David Cortinas’ comments the week before that suggested the council “gave away” a Hispanic-majority council seat when they chose him, a Black man, to fill the open post.
“I am mortified by this behavior and I will no longer accept it,” said Brown, the council’s only Black member, to city staff and the council. “I am a well-qualified constituent to sit here with these intelligent people, and nothing in this city should allow this type of behavior to push down the progress that we’ve made as a community and as a people.”
Brown was absent from the Nov. 7 meeting because of a family emergency.
Cortinas was one of the few Hispanic leaders who spoke about redistricting at the meeting. After giving his reasons why he believed the plan was inadequate, he shifted his focus toward the District 3 seat Nikki Torres vacated earlier this year.
“We had three (districts) that were in favor for Latinos to win and we won. ... And then, when it was time to reappoint one of the seats that was won by a Latino, it was given away to an African American,” said Cortinas, publisher of La Voz and president of the Tri-Cities Latin Business Association.
Councilwoman Zahra Roach rebutted his comments, saying he was appointed by the council on his merits and the fact that he had previously ran for the seat. She said Torres’ decision to leave “bears no burden on this council.”
But those comments did not sit right with Brown, who said he has been “constantly attacked for just simply being an African American male.” He asked for the city’s support in not allowing similar comments.
“We have come margins from where we were, and I refuse to continually sit on a mute button and let someone disrespect myself and my culture. It’s unacceptable. This is what we should not entertain — we should be lifting this city to higher heights, and we should do it together,” Brown said.
Brown was appointed in July to serve out a year and a half of Torres’ term, then he will have to run for election to keep the seat.
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 7:54 PM.
