The Pasco City Council will consider on May 4 whether to impose a new 0.1% sales tax to pay for maintaining its roads, further securing its position in the region as the municipality with the highest overall sales tax rate. 

Council members established a Transportation Benefit District encompassing the entirety of the city’s 83,000 residents in February. The new sales tax would be implemented through that district, with revenues dedicated to the city’s street fund, which has previously been paid for by utility and fuel taxes. 

“However, those sources are no longer enough,” the city said in a release. “As one example, it would cost around $8 million per year for pavement preservation work to keep Pasco’s roads in good condition. Right now, the city budget has about $1 million per year to pay for pavement preservation.” 

Pasco’s overall sales tax rate currently sits at 8.9%, which includes the state’s 6.5% tax rate and another 2.4% that are locally imposed sales taxes. If approved, the new sales tax would place Pasco’s overall sales tax rate at a flat 9%. By comparison, Kennewick’s and Richland’s overall sales tax rates are each 8.8%, while West Richland is 8.7%. 

City officials said it would take about six months for the new sales tax to be implemented if approved. And the tax could be increased further with voter approval. 

In February, more than 60% of Pasco voters said yes to joining the taxing district for Mid-Columbia Libraries.  

The library district previously operated the two libraries in Pasco on a contract with the city. By joining the taxing district, city residents would directly fund library operations via a new property tax of 23 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value, which would provide an estimated $3 million to the library district.