The City of Pasco City Council unanimously appointed Harold Stewart as city manager and immediately administered the oath of office, then elected Councilmember David Milne as mayor and Charles Grimm as mayor pro tem during the council’s Aug. 18 regular meeting.

The council voted to appoint Stewart before he took the oath. Councilmember Harpster moved to appoint Harold Stewart, and Councilmember Prowse seconded the motion. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.

Stewart repeated the oath of office in the meeting chamber. “I, Harold Stewart, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of The United States Of America…that I will faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties of the office of city manager for the city of Pasco,” Stewart said while taking the oath.

After the appointment and oath, council members proceeded to elect a mayor to fill a recently vacated seat. Councilmember David Milne received the unanimous vote and will serve as mayor through Dec. 31, 2025. Councilmember Charles Grimm was elected mayor pro tem unanimously as well.

Why it matters: The appointment and leadership elections place a permanent city manager in post immediately and establish the council’s leadership team for the remainder of the calendar year. City Manager Stewart said he would provide a fuller update at the next meeting and invited residents to meet with his office.

Details of the votes: The record shows all council members present — Councilmembers Barajas, Blaisdell, Grama, Harpster, Perales, and Milne (who was elected mayor) — voted in favor of the city manager appointment and the leadership elections. No formal dissent was recorded.

What’s next: Stewart said he will provide a comprehensive update at the council’s next meeting. The mayor and mayor pro tem will assume assignment authority and represent the city at community events for the remainder of the year.

Ending note: The council recessed briefly after the leadership votes for ceremonial photos and reconvened to continue a full agenda that included budget, land-use and policy items.