Wenatchee council adopts ordinance creating Junior City Council for high school students

The Wenatchee City Council on July 10 adopted Ordinance 2025-06 creating a Wenatchee Junior City Council to advise the council and involve high‑school students in local government. City Administrator Laura Gloria told the council the code would establish a seven‑member body with two alternates drawn from public, private and homeschool high‑school students residing in Wenatchee. The proposed rules call for the junior council to meet monthly, with staff and a council liaison working to finalize rules of procedure; the draft calls for meetings on the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. Student speakers who addressed the council during the public‑comment period urged support for the idea. “The creation of a junior city council is more than just a project. It's an opportunity to empower the next generation,” said Luisa Esquivel, an incoming senior at Wenatchee High School and state FCCLA finance vice president. Councilmember Navarro Gomez moved to adopt the ordinance; Councilmember Harold seconded the motion. The motion passed with council assent. Council members thanked the students and staff for advancing the proposal. Councilmember Atkinson and others described the Junior City Council as a tool to connect youth with government and to create a sustained channel for student input.