Pasco council fills vacant District 4 seat after former Mayor declined
Councilman Joe Cotta will continue representing District 4 on the Pasco City Council.
There was a vacancy after Pete Serrano, the former councilman and mayor who was elected to the District 4 seat in November, declined to take office to continue work leading the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
Though his nomination was never brought before the U.S. Senate for a confirmation hearing, he has taken a position as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the district, effectively still leading the office, according to Senator Patty Murray.
Cotta filled the District 4 seat from September 15 to December 31 after Serrano left the position vacant when he was sworn in as the interim U.S. Attorney. He was among the top four candidates interviewed by the council in September.
The council voted 5-1 Monday to reappoint Cotta. District 6 Councilman Calixto Hernandez requested a call for applications for a new council member, then voted against reappointing Cotta.
Cotta will represent the city’s northwestern limits and serve through November 2027, when the next election for the council position takes place.
He’s lived in Pasco for 15 years with his wife and five children, and has been the lead pastor at Harvest Valley Calvary Chapel in Prosser since 2022.
He ran in 2022 for a seat in the state Legislature in District 8 and was defeated by Representative April Connors. He also has a background in agriculture and winery operations.
Pasco’s council also selected a new mayor on Monday.
District 2 councilman Charles Grimm was selected to serve as mayor, while Mayor David Milne stepped into the Mayor Pro Tem position.
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 12:55 PM.
