Applications open for vacant Pasco City Council seat. Who’s eligible?
Applications are now open for the Pasco City Council at-large position.
It was recently vacated by Peter Harpster.
The new council member will serve for the next two years through mid-November 2027.
The position is open to all registered voters who live within Pasco city limits, regardless of their council district. Applications are being accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at pasco-wa.gov/council.
The city council will review applications on Dec. 1 and interview finalists during a special meeting on Dec. 8. The meeting will be open to the public.
Harpster’s time on the council
Harpster stepped down Oct. 26 after purchasing a new home outside city limits, making him no longer eligible to serve on the council.
It was a whirlwind 21 months for the 34-year-old councilman. In that time, he and the council tackled budget deficits, debated fluoride in drinking water, cracked down on speeders, increased water rights fees, dissolved a dysfunctional downtown association and hired a new city manager.
Harpster also penned the controversial city proclamation honoring Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was assassinated last month at a campus speaking event in Utah. With the resolution, he hoped to encourage tough conversations between people who disagreed.
Harpster rode into office following a 2023 election that saw he and his opponent raise a mind-boggling $40,000 combined. The land development consultant and U.S. Air Force veteran won about 58% of the vote with a campaign that focused on addressing city growth, homelessness and drug use.
Harpster’s vacancy adds to the list of recent departures. Former Mayor Pete Serrano resigned from city council in August to work as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern Washington District, and city attorney Eric Ferguson plans to leave his contracted partnership with the city at the end of this year.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
